


Man's Best Friend

by capanon



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-24 16:50:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 46,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4927486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capanon/pseuds/capanon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Kise meets Kuroko, he thinks the most difficult thing he'll have to deal with is Japanese lit. It doesn't take him long to realize how wrong he was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> its safe to say this is straight up id fic lmao but i have no regrets...

"A detailed analysis... common themes..." Ryouta's brows dipped down. "Half of your final-- _half_ of my final grade?!"

The professor looked unimpressed. "This assignment has been on the syllabus since day one," she said. Her eyes narrowed, daring him to argue or interrupt. "The date partners were to be assigned was likewise. You can hardly expect me to excuse you from it because you decided your modeling career," Ryouta doubted she could have sounded more condescending if she tried, "was more important than your academics."

"But, ma'am," Ryouta smiled, oozing charm. "I did send you an email--"

The professor remained unmoved. "You sent a single email for a slew of absences. That is absolutely inexcusable. However," she held up a hand, cutting off whatever defense Ryouta managed to come up with, "because this assignment is such a large portion of your grade, I'll allow you to do it. This is your last chance to pass my class. Don't mess it up." She sat back, grabbing a paper off one of the many piles spread across her desk. "Let's see, your partner..."

Ryouta sat on the edge of his seat, shooting glances at the clock over the door. He really needed to get going. He had a shoot at seven, and if he didn't leave now...

"Am I wasting your time, Kise-san?

"Not at all, Masako-sensei," Ryouta demured. "Who will my partner be?"

She frowned down at the paper. "Kuroko Tetsuya is the only unpaired student."

"Oh, all right." Ryouta tried to picture the students in his literature course, but he couldn't for the life of him remember a Kuroko. "Ah, what does he look like?"

Masako-sense put the list down, her frown deepening. "You know," she said, "I can't seem to recall his face. How odd." She jotted down something on a sticky note and passed it to him across her desk. "That's his email. I'd suggest meeting with him as soon as possible. If I get a single complaint..." She trailed off.

Ryouta cringed, laughing nervously. "I'll get right to it," he promised. He couldn't get out of the office fast enough.

Masako-sensei was terrifying, and speaking to her one on one was like a living nightmare.

Rushing to the station, Ryouta just managed to board his train. He huddled against a window and sent a brief message to his partner.

_kuroko-kun, this is kise ryouta! weve been assigned partners so when can we meet? please take care of me!! (*≧▽≦)_

"...another body. Can you believe it?"

Ryouta slid his phone back into the wide pocket of his blazer and let his attention wander to the girls just behind him. He could barely make out their faces in the window reflection, but he could tell from their uniforms they were high school girls. 

"No way! What are they saying this time?"

"My dad's an officer, and _he_ said the rumor is that it's a serial killer..."

Ryouta shifted, discomforted. The attacks were the biggest news in Tokyo. His manager forbid him from walking around outside at night, as though he had some kind of target on his head. Serial killers were such a movie type thing, though. The idea of one so close to home? Ryouta just couldn't find it in himself to believe it.

The automated voice spoke through the haze of conversations and noise, announcing the next stop. Ryouta's stop, thankfully, because he had another ten minutes to make it to the studio or there would be Hell to pay. He sprinted the rest of the way, and just managed to slide in under the radar a minute or so before go time. The makeup director shuffled him off, but not before he could see the ire written plainly on his manager's face.

"You do like to live dangerously, don't you?" his makeup director said. She tutted, poking at the ends of his bangs with her comb. "And you haven't been conditioning again, I see!"

Ryouta sank into the chair, swallowing down a sudden swelling of frustration. Between full time school and nearly full time modeling, he felt so burnt out. Another few hours, though, and he could sleep. That reminder alone was enough to keep him going.

The shoot wound up running over. It was nearly ten at night by the time Kise caught a taxi at his manager's insistence and had a spare second to check his phone. Kuroko, his mysterious partner, had gotten back to him while he was working.

_Kise-kun, I have a very full schedule. I can meet on Tuesday nights. If that doesn't work for you, please give me your availability, and I will do the best that I can. Kuroko T._

"That's it?" Ryouta sighed. He slumped in the backseat of the taxi, feeling oddly let down by the impersonal message. He didn't know what he'd expected. Did his name really not stand out. Ah, but Kuroko was a guy, so what would he care about a male model?

He typed up a quick response stating that Tuesday was fine, and could they meet at a diner? Ryouta couldn't study without good food, and he couldn't bring himself to invite a complete stranger to his home. What if Kuroko was secretly a stalker? Or if he was the type to go through a person's things? Ryouta had enough trouble with that in high school, back when his popularity really started rocketing. Once bitten, twice shy, after all.

~

Ryouta sprinted down the sidewalk, his bag over his head. The rain picked up so suddenly, and Ryouta couldn't help but bitterly think that even the weather was against him. Why else would he have to suffer a downpour like this in the winter of all seasons?

He burst into the diner, startling the girls crowded into the booth nearest the door. As he shook the rain water from his hair, he shot them a grin and a wink, warming a bit when they tittered behind their hands, cheeks pinking. 

"Let's see..." Ryouta looked around the diner. Only a few tables were occupied, mostly with students from the university, but no one matching the description Kuroko provided. "Blue, blue, blue," Ryouta murmured. No blue sweatshirts, no blue hair, no blue anything. He was about to pull out his phone and send Kuroko a mail when a voice to his right startled him.

"Kise-kun, you're late."

Ryouta jumped, letting out a shriek like he hadn't heard since his middle school days. "Kuroko?" he stammered. "When did you--"

"I've been here at least half an hour," Kuroko said, frowning at the lack of honorific. Apparently, he was the formal type. "You should have alerted me that you were going to be late."

Laughing, Ryouta bowed his head and clasped his hands in front of his face. "Sorry, sorry! I got caught up with a phone call with my manager, and then it started to rain and I realized I didn't have my umbrella! So I had to go find something that could sort of be an umbrella, you know? My hairdresser told me--"

Kuroko cleared his throat pointedly. "I've been sitting over there," he said, gesturing to a booth in the far right corner of the diner. "Please join me when you've gotten your food." Then he turned around and returned to the booth. Just like that.

Ryouta felt off-kilter. Sure, he wasn't exactly expecting Kuroko to roll out the red carpet for him, but he did he have to be so frigid? It wasn't like he meant to be late or miss so many classes! The look on Kuroko's face, that blank slate, spoke of pure disinterest. It was exactly the sort of thing Ryouta couldn't stand, that instant dismissal. His skin prickled with heat, and he forced himself to take a few deep breaths. _Just calm down_ , he advised himself. _It's just a school project!_ One that was worth half his entire grade.

Suddenly Ryouta wasn't so hungry anymore.

But as the diner _had_ been his idea, Ryouta forced himself to order something small before joining Kuroko. "So," he said, looking at the notes spread out across the table top. He tried to keep his meal organized into as small a space as possible so he didn't offend Kuroko even more, but the look on Kuroko's face didn't change. The effort went unappreciated. "What are we doing?"

"The professor gave us sample readings within the postmodernist school of thought, and we're doing an overview of common themes and a time line of events that affect the narrative."

Ugh. "That sounds so boring," Ryouta groaned. He munched on a fry, not bothering to hide his pout.

Kuroko didn't agree. "I'm in the literature department," he said mildly. Ryouta wanted to slap himself. So much for bonding over a mutual dislike of their class.

"Is that so?" He tried to laugh, to look enthusiastic. "You must be so smart! I couldn't take three years of literature."

"What department are you in, Kise-kun?" Kuroko didn't _sound_ interested, but surely asking was a good sign! 

"I'm in communications," he said. He didn't really care for it. His manager picked the major, told him what would look the best. It was all about image, he'd told Ryouta. "But I'm really glad you're my partner," he continued when Kuroko didn't look like he had any valuable input. "Since you're in the literature department, I feel like my grade is in good hands! I'll leave it to you." Ryouta really did mean it as a joke, but if he'd thought Kuroko was being frigid to him before, Kuroko's eyes were positively arctic now.

"I apologize, Kise-kun, but if you intend to leave this project to me, I assure you that won't be a possibility. I have no issue with working alone. Perhaps you ought to consider doing the same." Kuroko began gathering his things.

Ryouta panicked. "No! Wait!" Masako-sensei's threat echoed in his mind. He could feel his grade circling the drain. "It was a joke! A joke! Honestly, I wouldn't make someone else do my work! Please don't go!" He grabbed Kuroko's hand. 

Kuroko stared down at their connection before gently prying Ryouta's hand off of his own. "Think about it," he urged. He tucked his books under one arm and stooped down to grab the umbrella he'd stowed away under the table. "If you can't take this seriously, I won't work with you. Let me know your decision by tonight."

"Shit." Ryouta dropped his face into his hands. He'd known Kuroko all of five minutes, and he'd already screwed it up. So much for his lauded charm... Ryouta glanced out the window, catching sight of Kuroko disappearing into the rain, safely ensconced under a small black umbrella. For such a small guy, and one with no real presence to speak of, he sure left a lasting impression. 

It didn't take any time at all to make a decision. Then again, decision wasn't the right word for it. Ryouta had no real say in the matter of his and Kuroko's partnership if he wanted to pass the class, but sending Kuroko a message felt sort of scary now. He'd already pissed Kuroko off once. Making it worse - could it really get any worse? He supposed rock bottom would be Kuroko refusing to work with him and reporting him to Masako-sensei. The thought only sent a chill down his spine. He gathered his courage and sent Kuroko a message much later, the hours already bleeding into the early morning.

_kuroko-kun, sorry about giving you such a bad impression! i promise to work hard. lets start over?_

~

"Is...is this the right address?" Ryouta stared up at the apartment complex. It was one of those luxury ones, the type his agency arranged for the senior models, the really successful ones. Ryouta had his eye on one of them, though he didn't kid himself into thinking it would happen any time soon. To think that Kuroko lived in one of them! "Unexpected," he muttered to himself before pressing the buzzer.

The intercom crackled to life. "Name?" a bored voice spoke from the other end. 

"Kise Ryouta," he introduced himself, "here to see Kuroko Tetsuya!" 

Silence. Ryouta stood there feeling foolish for a good three minutes before the intercom crackled again. "The gate will open after the beep," was all the voice had to offer, but he didn't need to explain because the beep the sounded from atop the wide black gate was deafening. Ryouta cringed, his hands flying up to cover his ears. The gate opened automatically, parting in the center to reveal a wide driveway that could easily accommodate four cars at once, leading to a four level parking garage. Ryouta stared at it for a few beats before taking the walkway off to the left leading toward the actual residences.

Kuroko really lived there? A _college student_ really had such a home? Ryouta could only imagine Kuroko came from money. Maybe his frigidness was some sort of by product of his upbringing, like the attitude of a young master type? 

He took the elevator to the third floor and counted the doors down until 3-14. He raised his hand to knock, but before his hand could connect, Kuroko opened the door. Ryouta's heart jumped into his throat at the sudden appearance. The gate operator must have alerted him, though the idea of Kuroko just standing behind the door waiting for him was pretty creepy.

"Good evening, Kise-kun. Come in, please." Kuroko stepped aside, gesturing for Ryouta to step inside.

"Kuroko-kun, I can't believe you have such an amazing apartment!" Ryouta gushed. He practically tripped in his haste to toe off his shoes and get a good look at the inside. The apartment was sparsely furnished, a real minimalist look about it. As stiff and formal as Kuroko seemed to be, he'd been expecting something more traditional.

"It's not mine," Kuroko was quick to say, closing the door behind them. He locked it and then gestured for Ryouta to follow him into the kitchen. "It's a family property. I'm just staying here while I'm in school."

"I'm so jealous," Ryouta sighed. "I've just got a tiny studio near the station."

"That's surprising," Kuroko said, though nothing showed through on his face. "I would think with your career, you'd be in a similar place."

Ryouta did laugh at that. "No way! I'm still small time, you know? Ah, but I'm happy to know even you recognized me, Kuroko-kun!"

Kuroko actually raised a brow at that, something Ryouta decided to call a success. "Your picture is everywhere. I knew who you were as soon as I saw your name."

"I couldn't place you at all," Ryouta admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not even Masako-sensei could."

"That's normal," Kuroko assured him. "Please, have a seat. I'll make some tea."

Ryouta watched Kuroko move around the kitchen, looking much more at ease than he had in the cafe. All the tension from their first meeting was gone, replaced by an atmosphere Ryouta didn't understand but could only think of as 'blank'. He couldn't get a sense of anything Kuroko was thinking, whether he was glad Ryouta showed up or even annoyed. He was a complete blank slate.

"Sorry," he said. The word fell out of his mouth before he could really think about it. Kuroko stopped what he was doing and turned around. "I really didn't mean to cause all that trouble the day before. I promise I usually don't put my foot in my mouth like that!"

Kuroko's lips quirked up on one side into a handsome, if understated, crooked smile. "I find that rather difficult to believe, Kise-kun."

"Hey! I'm not that bad, Kurokocchi!" The nickname just... slipped out. Kuroko rolled with it, apparently unbothered.

"As long as you know your place," Kuroko said. But from the way he was still almost smiling, Ryouta knew it was a joke.

"I won't forget this time," Ryouta said, offering him a thumbs up.

They worked well together. Ryouta tried to mind Kuroko's boundaries, something he found surprisingly difficult. There was something about Kuroko, something that made Ryouta want to _push_ rather than to charm him. They sat close together at the small table in the kitchen, poring over Kuroko's notes. Ryouta found it difficult to focus on literature, his eyes drawn to the wiry musculature of Kuroko's arms, the way his forearms flexed when he turned a page or jotted down an idea. He was just so _strange_. And perhaps that's all it was, a momentary attraction from someone who was so different from what Ryouta was used to. And if nothing else, Kuroko was certainly unique. His barely there presence, his offbeat appearance, the fine cut of his jaw sloping into a deceptively delicate neck. Despite his size, Ryouta could think of Kuroko as nothing other than masculine. He wouldn't have minded seeing him in a much more intimate setting either, but he put that thought out of his head as quickly as it had appeared. Entertaining sexual thoughts about another man was one thing, but Kuroko was only just tolerating him. 

"Well, we got a lot done," Ryouta said, leaning back in his seat. He reached his arms over his head, stretching out the tension in his shoulders. "Thanks for having me over, Kurokocchi!"

Kuroko looked over at the digital clock on the oven, and Ryouta's gaze followed. Eleven? Had he really been there for six hours? "Will you be all right?" Kuroko asked. "It's awfully late."

Ryouta waved off his concern. "The station's really close by. I need to leave now, though, if I want to make the last train. We'll have to do this again! Next time, let's meet at my place?"

Kuroko smiled again, that small crooked expression that made Ryouta's foolish heart skip a beat. "The project has a lot of work. We'd have to meet again whether either of us wanted to or not."

"You could at least pretend you had fun," Ryouta said, pouting playfully. 

"There is no greater joy in life than watching you suffer through postmodern literature," Kuroko intoned, his expression completely flat.

Ryouta scoffed. "I can tell you're joking now, you know!" He'd come a long way in a few hours from thinking Kuroko was basically an android. 

They walked to the door together. Kuroko was a host with impeccable manners. He even opened the door for Ryouta, following him out to give him a proper goodbye. But just as they crossed the threshold into the open walkway outside the apartment, Kuroko's entire demeanor changed.

"Wait," he said. He made an aborted motion, as though intending to grab Ryouta's wrist. "It's really late." Kuroko's eyes were focused on something out in the distance. Ryouta couldn't see anything, though, not even in well lit streets outside the complex.

"It's not that late."

"The streets have been dangerous lately," Kuroko said. "I have a spare bedroom. You should stay the night. I'd feel terrible if something happened because I was too rude to offer." But despite the formal invitation, there was something off in Kuroko's voice, something Ryouta wanted to call desperation but couldn't be sure. He meet Kuroko's gaze, thrown off by the sincerity in his eyes.

"Well, all right," he said. "If you _really_ want me around that much!"

That lightened the mood. Kuroko's entire body relaxed, his shoulders actually drooping. "I'll make up the bed for you," he said.

Ryouta followed him back into the apartment, casting a final glance into dark outside. There was nothing noteworthy. He was certain of that. So why did Kuroko seem so spooked?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the comments and kudos and bookmarks and stuff!

The scent lingered. Tetsuya forced his instincts aside and spent most of the night laying awake in bed, keenly aware of both Kise's slow breaths and steady pulse and the smell of _other_.

"Thanks for the hospitality!" Even in the early morning, Kise sparkled. He was fresh out of the shower, wearing yesterday's clothes and a towel slung over his shoulders.

"It was no trouble." Tetsuya handed him a canned coffee and a packaged bread.

"You're really living the bachelor life, aren't you, Kurokocchi?" He didn't refuse the meager meal, though, already tearing the package with his teeth.

"Cooking isn't one of my talents."

Kise sat down with his food, leaning casually against his hand, elbow braced on the table top. "That's okay," he reassured as though Tetsuya was at all bothered by his lack of culinary skills. "I'm sure you have a lot of other talents." Something about the way he said it, the tone of his voice, rose heat in Tetsuya's cheeks. He turned around, perturbed, and made a show of preparing tea, the can of coffee he'd set out for himself forgotten.

"If you say so."

With the sun up, Tetsuya's instincts were easier to put aside. Now rather than wanting to force Kise to remain hidden, his presence was itching at Tetsuya's skin. He wanted Kise out, if for no other reason than to reaffirm his ownership of his territory. "I'll have to leave soon. I have an appointment in an hour."

Kise took the hint. "Thanks for letting me stay," he said, already standing up. He dropped the towel on the table and swallowed down the last of the bread and coffee and grabbed his jacket and bag from where he'd left them under the table. "Next Tuesday? You can come to my place!" Kise sounded so excited about it, though Tetsuya couldn't tell how much of it he meant.

"If it's not too much trouble," Tetsuya said, following Kise out. 

Outside, everything seemed different. Daylight could do that, Tetsuya reflected. He scanned the area in front of his building, expecting to see nothing and not being let down. The scent was barely there now, lost in the early morning traffic, in cooking food, in car fumes. Even Tetsuya's exceptional senses could had a hard time picking it out, for which he was grateful. It means whoever it was didn't linger. Whatever reason one of them had for being in the area, it wasn't to watch him.

"Are you going to the station, too?" 

"No, I'm walking." Tetsuya didn't bother to stop himself from staring at Kise's back. He stayed a few feet behind him, admiring the view and not feeling an ounce of shame for it. Though Kise's personality thus far left much to be desired, he was an overall pleasant person to look at.

"Too bad," Kise continued. "I was hoping we could ride together." He sounded truly put out about it, too, like they were actually friends. The lack of formality in everything Kise did or said rubbed Tetsuya wrong, though at the same time he couldn't hold on to that irritation. 

They parted ways soon after, and Tetsuya continued on further into the city, making his way to the poorly kept park he'd frequented since his grade school days. As usual, the basketball court was an island of trash. Tetsuya picked it up, nose wrinkled at the smell. By time his company arrived, Tetsuya had worked himself into an irritated frenzy.

"Yo," Aomine greeted him, one hand raised and the other holding a basketball to his side. "You do this to yourself on purpose, don't you?"

Tetsuya dropped a few crushed cola cans into the rusted bin at the edge of the court and leveled Aomine with a blank stare. "It's disrespectful to the people who come here to leave trash."

"Okay," Aomine agreed. He knew better than to follow that rabbit down the hole. "So what's the agenda for today? I'm itching for some one on one, but you suck, so--"

"If you wanted a challenge, you should have brought company."

"I'm not taking the new guy any-fucking-where," Aomine grumbled. "Just because daddy's a big hitter in the States..." He bounced the ball a few times, then threw it to Tetsuya, who caught it.

"Is there anything I need to be worried about?" Tetsuya asked, bouncing the ball back. 

Aomine just 'hummed' and spun the ball on his finger. He didn't look any less bored than usual, but there something about his scent that suggested he was on edge. "Beside your boss--"

"He isn't my boss," Tetsuya interrupted. "My alpha is dead. Haizaki-kun is just posturing and hoping no one notices he isn't equipped to lead."

"Ouch," Aomine laughed. "You told him that?"

Tetsuya frowned. "You know I couldn't. As it stands, he's the most obvious choice. The vacuum of power Nijimura-san's death left behind is causing the clan to fracture."

"And here I thought you dogs were the loyal ones." Aomine looked thoughtful. "Look, I know I've said it before, but you should just come with me. I bet I could get you hired for _something_. Imayoshi thinks you're hilarious."

"As you said, we dogs are loyal. I won't leave my family."

"The way things stand, you guys are gonna rip yourselves apart from the inside." Aomine closed the gap between them, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Everyone knows a dog is behind all that serial killer crap the humans are going on about. Someone's gonna take notice soon, and by _someone_ , you know I mean--"

"I doubt it's a single dog," Tetsuya interrupted. "And I'm well aware of my clan's state of disarray."

Aomine's laugh was much less pleasant now. "Disarray, huh? That's a hell of a nice way of putting it." He broke away from Tetsuya, dribbling the ball to the net and moving into a jump with no discernible break in form. The ball swished into the net without so much as touching the rim. "The offer stands," he said, grabbing the ball before it could roll away. "Just make sure you take it before it's too late, Tetsu."

Part of Tetsuya wished he could. But walking away from his clan was no more an option now than it was when Nijimura was alpha, back in those kinder days. Even Aomine, in all his hardheadedness, knew Tetsuya was as good as chained in place.

~

_kurokocchi, check out this house im doing a shoot at! its bigger than yours!!_

_i'm so tired... ヾ(´A｀)ノﾟthis is more boring than lit... just kidding! lit is way more boring_

Over the course of the next week, Tetsuya received a bizarre amount of messages from Kise, who apparently decided that he and Tetsuya were not only friends, but _best_ friends. Every time Tetsuya head the alert of new message, which was distressingly often, he wondered if maybe Kise just didn't have anyone else to chatter at. Maybe Tetsuya was the only one who hadn't immediately kicked Kise out of his life - though not for lack of trying, he supposed. He'd definitely been set on turning Kise away, but he was just so _earnest_ about everything. Kise lived and breathed enthusiasm so naturally Tetsuya couldn't help but be carried away.

_Perhaps Kise-kun ought to sleep more. Every time I receive a message after midnight, I can't help but be concerned..._

Tetsuya frowned after he sent it. Was that too casual? He wasn't as used to interacting with people outside his clan. He'd finally allowed himself to claim Kise a friend, but still, a part of him held back. Kise was human. Tetsuya didn't want to paint a target on either of them.

Walking home from his evening class, Tetsuya tried to ignore the rapid response from Kise. His phone must have chimed four times, but he didn't want to text and walk at the same time. Especially at night, Tokyo no longer felt safe. The sense of territory Tetsuya had grown up with was fading, and more and more often he felt like he was walking through a stranger's property, the hair on his neck standing on end and his instincts howling for escape. And with good reason.

His building was mostly human, but the apartment he lived in was property of the clan. The alpha before Nijimura was good to Tetsuya's parents and had left him a few items in his will. Though he was essentially no one of importance, he had this much. Nijimura had honored his predecessor's desire. Tetsuya couldn't say how long he'd remain in his home if Haizaki stepped up. 

At the gate, Tetsuya stopped. His feet felt heavy, locking his body in place. The scent was back, no longer faded but pungent even so close an area with major foot traffic. It was as though someone had stood there for hours, waiting. Tetsuya inhaled deeply, but he couldn't connect the scent with anyone he knew from the clan. Even so, the scent was unmistakably canine, and it carried with it an undercurrent of malice.

Another chime from his phone. Tetsuya pulled it out of his pocket and backed against the wall by the gate's intercom, forcing his body to relax. Adopt casual posture, suppress his scent, breathe evenly: those were the ways to fool a shifter.

 _i'm so happy you're concerned for me!!!!!!!!!!!_ the first message read. Tetsuya felt the storm in his mind ease, and his relaxation no longer felt so forced. The rest of the messages were more of the same, typical excited jabbering. The last message was different.

It was from a number he didn't recognize, but the sender identified himself. _This is Imayoshi. Aomine passed on a request. I'm confirming it. Let's help each other out in the future._ Imayoshi... Tetsuya couldn't quite hide his surprise. Aomine's alpha was known for his... unorthodox demeanor, but surely messaging a dog so low in the clan's social hierarchy was useless? The wording was so vague, too. It didn't seem like he was asking Tetsuya to come work for the felines. Imayoshi was definitely asking for something, but what?

"I've been out too long," Tetsuya murmured, locking his phone and tucking it away again. He keyed in his code and walked inside as soon as the gate opened, pointedly ignoring the unsettling sensation of being watched.

~

"I hate semester-long projects!" Kise's voice was grating, but Tetsuya couldn't help but laugh, cradling the phone against his ear while he microwaved rice and soup.

"Perhaps you shouldn't have taken this course?" he suggested.

"I didn't have a choice! If you weren't here, I'd be totally doomed!"

"If I wasn't here, you would have just conned someone into doing the work for you."

Another shriek. "You're so cruel, Kurokocchi! I'm not like that at all!"

And so on. Tetsuya wasn't sure how he'd fallen into such a pattern with Kise, but a month down the road, he'd grown comfortable with it. With him. Worrying about clan politics was impossible with Kise's voice in his ear or his sunny disposition infecting Tetsuya just by being near. He'd forgotten what it was like to have friends without an agenda.

He turned to grab a cup and caught sight of the calendar on his fridge, marked with a bed red circle. Tuesday night, he remembered, was the full moon. He cut Kise's rambling off. "Kise-kun, I forgot to say... I can't meet this Tuesday. Would Wednesday morning be all right?"

"Don't you have a class?"

"It was canceled," Tetsuya lied. The professor didn't take attendance, so missing one class wouldn't hurt. "Is that all right?"

"Yes! I actually get to see you while the sun's out!" Kise laughed. "I was beginning to wonder if you were hiding something from me."

Tetsuya pursed his lips. He turned abruptly from the calendar. "Don't be ridiculous."

The conversation dwindled after that. Tetsuya refused to hold it against Kise for being too perceptive, but he couldn't help but wonder what Kise would think of the truth. What _any_ human would think of it. Of course, humans were forbidden from interacting with clans without approval, but Tetsuya was surprised with the ease with which he could imagine Kise among his clansmen. The Kagetora family were generally welcoming of strays. He wondered if--

"Don't be ridiculous," he said again, this time to himself. Kise had no reason to get involved with the clan. He was just another human who'd crossed paths with Tetsuya. Nothing more, nothing less.

But as the full moon grew nearer, Tetsuya found himself focused on the idea of Kise being part of the clan. It was a feeling he didn't know what to do with; logically, he knew it was a futile dream. But even so...

By Tuesday afternoon, Tetsuya locked himself in his apartment, barricaded the doors, and hid his phone. The urge to find Kise was impossibly strong, and he knew if he only heard his voice, he wouldn't be able to stop himself. Staying in human form during the moon was possible, but it made suppressing his animalistic side nearly impossible. Everything faded in the face of his instincts. Tetsuya always shifted shortly before moon rise and remained that way until sunrise the next morning. It was safe. But somehow, it just wasn't what he wanted.

He could hear his phone going off and knew it was Kise. Though the moon was still several hours from rising, Tetsuya knew he was slipping too fast to stay human. With his phone chiming in another room, he stripped down and shifted, his vision warping, color fading. 

Immediately, the intensity of his instincts faded. His emotions leveled. If Tetsuya could sigh in his canine form, he was certain he'd heave a sigh of relief. He ran a few laps around the apartment, scenting the comforting familiarity of his territory.

~

Tetsuya had a headache. The pain was especially off putting because he was generally in excellent condition following a full moon. But the easy comfort of slipping into his canine form did little to assuage the restlessness he'd felt beforehand. If anything, it only stopped it for a brief time before the feeling came back full force. As a dog, he couldn't compartmentalize his feelings, so the rush of _whatever_ that was cost him both a couch and the pair of shoes Aomine got him for his birthday.

By the time he'd shifted human again and gotten ready to go, Tetsuya was plagued with the oddest sensation. It was like he'd forgotten something very important. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn't quite grab it. The frustration of it was unbearable. 

_im at the diner! its my treat today so ill just get your usual. and good morning, kurokocchi! （*´▽｀*）_

Tetsuya's restlessness eased. Kise... Had he forgotten something about Kise? He remembered their meeting, was already walking out the door. Perhaps it was just that he wanted to see Kise. Something in him warmed at the idea. Getting so involved with Kise wasn't without its detractors. Tetsuya knew full well that even casual relationships with humans were looked down upon. As drawn as he felt toward Kise, Tetsuya wondered if it wasn't time for him to pull back.

"You're late!" Kise greeted him the moment he stepped through the diner's doors. He sounded gleeful about it, too. He'd camped out at their usual table, his book opened and papers piled over it, though he seemed to be ignoring it in favor of eating an enormous omelet. 

Tetsuya allowed Kise a small smile, settling his bag down on the seat before sliding into the booth. "Good morning, Kise-kun." His food was already at the table as well. Tetsuya opened his mouth to thank Kise when something caught his attention.

It was a scent. For a heart stopping moment, Tetsuya thought it was the same scent he'd noticed several times outside of his building, but it wasn't. There was a distinct similarity: the undercurrent of malice. And the scent weaved carefully through Kise's own was easy to recognize.

Haizaki. How would Haizaki know Kise? It was impossible. Haizaki wouldn't waste time on humans, and yet there it was. The scent was placed purposefully. It was almost as though Haizaki _wanted_ someone to notice.

Of course, Tetsuya realized with a chill. That was the point. Haizaki must have wanted someone to notice. He wanted _Tetsuya_ to notice. This couldn't be anything other than a warning, a casual threat. _I know what you've been doing_ , the scent seemed to say. Tetsuya wanted to pinch his nose closed.

"Kurokocchi?" Kise snapped his fingers in front of Tetsuya's face, startling him. "Are you all right? You kind of... spaced out. Did you not sleep?"

Tetsuya rubbed at his eyes. "I apologize. I was up too late reading." He wanted desperately to ask about Haizaki, but there was no good way to do it. Not without having to explain anything else. And not without alerting anyone who might be listening.

Because that was the crux of it. The scent Tetsuya kept catching had to be someone Haizaki was using to keep an eye on Tetsuya, maybe on anyone else he considered unfavorable. It was with a note of hysteria that Tetsuya realized he'd finally been upgraded from a no one within the clan to a potential troublemaker. And for all that he'd been planning on puling away from Kise for their own good, Tetsuya knew it was far too late. He'd made Kise a target. Whether he'd intended to or not, Kise was his responsibility. 

Let it never be said that Tetsuya didn't look out for his own.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks again for all the comments and kudos and stuff! you guys are really nice. and i totally agree, we need waaaaaay more multichapter kikuro fics!
> 
> additionally....i dont know anything about models or how that stuff works, so... i mostly made stuff up lmao

Ryouta angled his body toward the camera, trying to throw himself into the mentality of a student in love at Christmas, but his attention kept wavering. His hand constantly, mindlessly returned to his neck. He'd never felt so flustered before in his life.

The director snapped for a ten minute break, and though Ryouta knew he was the biggest problem, he couldn't make his mind cooperate. All he could think of was Kuroko. He'd been surprisingly forward, doing that right in front of the diner. Ryouta's heart skipped a beat remembering the way Kuroko had suddenly grabbed him and nuzzled into the crook of his neck. For a hug, that had been pretty intimate...

"Your face is all red," the makeup director pointed out. "And you're all over the place today. You sick?"

"No, just--having trouble focusing." 

She tutted and touched up his makeup, lips pursed. "Try to get it together this time around." She so rarely scolded him that Ryouta couldn't help but take it personally. He never did well with criticism.

"Back in three!" one of the assistants called out. Everyone scrambled to get into position. The day was already an hour over the proposed schedule. "Ryouta, Miki, into position!"

"We're going to die here," Ryouta said, stretching his arms over his head. He cast a tired grin at Miki, but once again, she refused to look at him. Her face was red, and if he didn't know any better he would say she was embarrassed. It seemed improbably, though, considering that they'd already done three shoots together. "Are you all right?" he asked, leaning in closer and lowering his voice. "Do you need a longer break?" 

"No," she said quickly, raising her hands. When she put space between them, it wasn't subtle.

 _Do I smell?_ Ryouta would have checked, but that was an embarrassing thing to do in front of so many people. He would have never been let out of makeup if his face looked weird, so it couldn't be that... Perhaps, he decided, it was just one of those days.

The shoot finally wrapped up within the next hour, going smoothly with the exception of Miki's total freak out when the director tried to get her to loop her arms around his neck and pose like they were about to kiss. Really, it was enough to crush a guy's self esteem! Ryouta wasn't going to hold it against her or anything, but man...

It was a pity. Miki was a gorgeous girl, a talented model, and she and Ryouta were the source of a ton of fan-based rumors surrounding all the jobs they took together. It was the kind of thing his manager encouraged, little white lies to feed the public so they didn't ask why such a sought after model was single. His thoughts returned to Kuroko earlier that day, to the casually intimate way he drew Ryouta in--

Ryouta slapped a hand over his eyes and groaned. "Not the time," he muttered to himself, "and _definitely_ not the place." His dressing room was hardly secure. Any number of people could walk in while he was in there. Erotic thoughts? Not a good idea in public. Or in tight pants.

"Good work," he called out, grabbing his things and heading toward the exit. "I'm going home!"

"Bye, Ryouta-kun!" someone returned, though the voice lacked the usual enthusiasm the staff had at the end of a shoot. Ryouta couldn't blame them. They might have gotten the material they wanted, but they'd had to do so many reshoots, take so many breaks, and do so much extra work that it must have been a nightmare for them. He'd never felt so unsettled during work before. Leaving his personal life at the door was one of his strong points - never mind that he didn't have much of a social life to begin with! Work, school, home, repeat... He suspected his manager planned his schedule that way.

It was well on into the evening already, the moon high in the sky and the streetlights illuminating the sidewalk. The shoot was set up in a warehouse, so the surrounding area was pretty empty. Ryouta felt a chill race up his back at just how isolated he was. All the rumors he'd heard about the serial killer floating through his thoughts, a casual reminder that his life choices might get him killed. Crossing his arms over his chest against the chill in the air, Ryouta picked up the pace, power walking through the warehouse district. He'd be okay once he got to the entertainment distract. With so many people there, no one would dare try anything! He wished he'd listened a little closer to the warnings from his manager. Where had all the previous attacks even happened?

"Woof."

Ryouta screamed. He couldn't help it! There he was, thinking all of those eerie thoughts and contemplating his inevitable gruesome death, so of course a loud noise would startle him!

He stumbled backwards, falling on his ass and dropping his bag. The perpetrator closed in and, very threateningly, sat on his feet. "Woof," the dog said solemnly. 

"A... a dog," Ryouta said. Then he laughed. "Aw, what a cute guy!" He reached forward, scratching under the little dog's chin. He didn't see a collar. Maybe it was a stray? Wherever it was from, it was remarkably well behaved. "You lost, little guy?"

The dog just stared at him with big blue eyes that Ryouta couldn't help but think were judging him. "Wait a second," he muttered, leaning closer. Those eyes _did_ look awfully familiar... "Kurokocchi!" he gasped, snapping his fingers. The dog actually startled at that, jumping to his feet. His little tail stood straight up. "I've _got_ to get a picture of this," Ryouta gushed, hurrying to take his phone out. "You look just like this guy I know," he explained. Hopefully if he kept talking the dog wouldn't run away. "Ah, Kurokocchi... I'd recognize those eyes anywhere!" The dog did a strange almost shimmy at that, backing up a few steps before rushing forward again. It didn't run away when Ryouta took a picture, and it sat down as though waiting while he typed out an accompanying message.

 _look like anyone you know??_ he wrote, attaching the image and forwarding it to Kuroko. "I don't know if he'll appreciate the comparison, but you're too cute to ignore," Ryouta said, tucking his phone away again. "And such a good listener!" he cooed, scratching under the dog's ears. The dog preened, then abruptly laid down and covered his snout with his paws. Ryouta laughed and stood back up, brushing the dirt and debris from the sidewalk off his pants. "Well," he said, waving, "nice meeting you!"

He started to walk away. The dog followed. "Ah, no," Ryouta tried to wave him away. "I'm going home! If you follow me, your owner will miss you." The dog didn't seem concerned. He pressed up against Ryouta's ankles, and Ryouta couldn't shake the impression that the dog was actually trying to herd him. "Pushy guy. You and Kurokocchi would get along..." Then, of course, he had to start thinking about Kuroko again. He'd just texted him, but they hadn't exchanged any other messages since that morning when they said goodbye at the diner. Just thinking about it flustered Ryouta, and how lame was that? A college student acting like a love struck heroine because of a hug of all things... "Snap out of it," he said to himself.

The dog butted his head against Ryouta's leg and huffed in a way that could only signify his impatience. 

"All right, all right," Ryouta said. "I admit defeat. Follow me if you want. I'm way too tired to run away."

He didn't think he'd made it before the last train, but if he hurried, he might get lucky. The dog kept pace with Ryouta, never stopping except for when he decided Ryouta was moving too slow. Then he'd circle around and nip at Ryouta's heels like he was an errant pup. Ryouta saw a lot of bizarre things on a regular basis - such was the lot of a member of the entertainment world - but he'd never come across a street dog so determined to play escort. "I don't think they'll let you on the train," he tried to say at one point, but the moment the words were out of his mouth, he felt foolish. It was a _dog_. It had no clue what Ryouta was saying, nor did it care.

About a block away from the station, the dog began to bark.

It wasn't a playful sound, or even an urging sound like when he'd been trying to encourage Ryouta to move faster. This was a deeper bark, a play at intimidation. The dog was very small, about a foot off the ground, with a delicately curved tail and black and white patches of fur. Nothing about it should have been intimidating, but Ryouta couldn't help but feel like every sound it made was a threat. 

"I really hope I'm not the one you're barking at," Ryouta said, feeling a nervous sweat prickle at his brow. The dog turned briefly toward him as though to say _don't be stupid_ before returning its sharp focus on the terrible lurking threat of garbage cans and empty sidewalks.

Ryouta was so focused on the racket the dog was making he managed to plow right into the only other person he'd come across since leaving the shoot. He stumbled back a few steps, but the stranger didn't budge an inch.

"Watch where you're going," he said, his voice a deep rumble. He scowled at Ryouta. "I was expecting to see someone else." He said the last bit quiet enough that Ryouta doubted it was meant for his ears.

"Sorry?" Ryouta wasn't sorry. He was irritated, if anything. And more importantly, he just wanted to board his damn train. He had five minutes to get to the station.

But the stranger caught his arm. "Y'know," he began but another loud bark cut him off. He let go of Ryouta immediately and turned to the dog. They both stared at each other. Without blinking. Ryouta began edging away toward the station, shooting the dog a silent thanks, but the stranger looked away from the dog and back to Ryouta. "You have got to be kidding me," he said, running a hand through his dark blue hair. He glanced back at the dog. "Really? Not kidding. Fuck it, I'm out." He walked off in the opposite direction, hands jammed into the pockets of his baggy jeans. He sounded like he was laughing.

Ryouta stared at his back until he vanished around a corner, then shook his head. "This has been a really weird night," he told the dog. Then he realized he was still trying to _talk to a dog_ , and what the hell was wrong with him? "Sleep," he said with an edge of desperation, "I really need some sleep."

The dog yapped a happy sound that seemed to be agreement, then he began butting his head against Ryouta's legs again, like _okay, but really, you need to go_.

"I'm going, I'm going," Ryouta complained, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder. He could see the train station now, and there were still people milling about it. He was safe. The dog must have agreed because he'd stopped that awful bone rattling bark and was calmly trotting along at Ryouta's side. He kept Ryouta company as he bought his ticket and waiting by the boarding ramp. No one seemed concerned about the unleashed dog running around, so Ryouta decided not to worry about it. If anything, the dog's presence was a comfort. He'd gotten so worked up earlier. Maybe the dog had sensed that? He could be one of those rare super aware types like Ryouta occasionally saw mentioned on variety shows!

The train pulled into the station, and the intercom announced the boarding instructions. Ryouta squatted down and scratched the dog's chin, smiling down at it. "You're a good guy, but we'll have to part ways here. Look me up if you're ever in my area," he joked. The dog stared up at him with those familiar eyes, and Ryouta felt himself melt. "You really do look like him... I sure wish he'd show me this much concern." The dog cocked its head, and Ryouta sighed, standing again. "What am I saying?" He pushed a hand through his hair, feeling the weight of the day crash down on him. "Man, I'm exhausted." He waved another goodbye at the dog and then boarded the train, taking a seat with a window overlooking the station. 

As the train pulled away, the dog didn't move. It sat on the platform like a silent guard, watching each compartment roll past.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks as always for all the support! ive discovered something recently... every time i type the word 'embarrassed but' i spell it a different way. and its never correct? i dont understand it myself... also please ignore the lack of consistency in the way kuroko addresses haizaki. ill clean that up later...
> 
> also as a WARNING: theres some shifter on shifter and human-form on shifter violence here which could read like animal violence? idk in case that bothers anyone, there you go.

"Isn't it too early for you to be up?"

Aomine pushed past Tetsuya and into the apartment. "We need to talk. You're just as ridiculous as ever, Tetsu."

"Too early," Tetsuya muttered, closing the door. He followed Aomine to the kitchen and watched his guest go through his cabinets in search of food for a few moments before speaking again. "What can I do for you?"

Aomine muttered something unintelligible and grabbed an instant noodle cup from the cabinet. "Want to explain last night?"

"I was helping a friend."

"A _human_ friend. Your scent was so strong on him I caught it two blocks away. I thought he was _you_ , Tetsu, and if I noticed--"

"Someone else has already noticed," Tetsu interrupted. "Haizaki-kun's scent was on him. It was faint, but it was there. He left it on purpose."

Aomine cursed, pushing a hand through his hair. His frustration was so great Tetsuya could almost taste in the air. "You're supposed to be, you know, not drawing attention to yourself! Things are a mess already."

He wasn't wrong. Tetsuya knew the implications of what he'd done, could feel danger deep in his bones. Every time he remembered rubbing his scent onto the surprisingly delicate slope of Kise's neck his body warmed while his mind lost itself in worry. Haizaki knew Tetsuya had let his attention wander, had found himself drawn in by a human who didn't know any better. For the first time, Haizaki was paying attention to Tetsuya when all Tetsuya wanted was to fade into the background. Funny, really, how Tetsuya's desire for recognition could be so easily lost beneath the swell of affection he felt for Kise.

"It's too late to change my mind," Tetsuya said. "I couldn't break ties with Kise-kun before Haizaki-kun caught on. I won't abandon him now."

"Like it would make a difference?" Aomine stared him down, his noodles forgotten on the counter. "You're no match for someone like Haizaki. Tetsu, you're no match for _anyone_!" It was cruel to say. But if he was nothing else, Tetsuya was self-aware. He knew he was small, knew the depth of his own weaknesses with a keen despair. In a one on one fight, Tetsuya's best hope would be that his opponent would have mercy on him. Haizaki was not known for mercy. "That guy? Even my clan knows how he feels about humans. You dogs have been cut off from the rest of the world for so long, I'm surprised you even got to live alone here."

"Nijimura-san was indifferent to humans. He believed my best chance of being useful to the clan would be by providing a bridge between us and the rest of the world." Nijimura hadn't been explicit about it, but in the few times he'd spoken to Tetsuya alone, he'd always been complimentary of Tetsuya's choices. Or at least as complimentary as Nijimura ever got. "If Haizaki-kun isn't chosen--"

"It doesn't matter," Aomine interrupted. "That guy's not going to step aside for anyone else. If he isn't chosen, do you really think he'll bare his throat for anyone else? Even Nijimura had to force him down."

"I like to think even a mad dog can be reasonable sometimes. Perhaps you're right, and I'm too optimistic." 

"That's not even optimism, Tetsu. That's just you being a dumbass." Aomine drummed his fingers on the counter top, staring off at nothing. "I want you to reconsider my offer."

"I'm sorry, Aomine-kun," Tetsuya said as gently as possible, "but I believe we both know it's too late for that."

"It's not," Aomine denied. He pulled a folded up envelope from his pocket. "This is from Imayoshi. Don't know what it says, but that guy doesn't take notice of just anyone. He'd take you in, Tetsu. And if he takes you in, he's not going to let Haizaki at you."

Aomine was too kind. Far too kind, it seemed, because Tetsuya could read between the lines. If Haizaki had something against Tetsuya and the feline clan took him in, he wouldn't just want Tetsuya. He'd want an all out war, the kind Japan had seen between shifter clans for at least a century. "I can't accept your offer, Aomine-kun, but I appreciate it nonetheless." He took the envelope. Imayoshi was an alpha. He had to be too sensible to be willing to risk mass violence, so whatever was in the envelope, it had to be something else. Perhaps something important. He recalled the last message from Imayoshi, the pledge to help one another out. 

But before Tetsuya had the chance to open it his phone rang. He set the envelope down and excused himself to retrieve his phone from his room. The name on the caller ID was unexpected. "Riko-san?"

"Kuroko-kun." Her voice was unmistakable. Tetsuya couldn't claim a close relationship with her, but she'd never been cruel to him. "I wanted to pass word along." Tension threaded through her words, setting Tetsuya on edge. He noticed Aomine standing in the doorway to his room but paid him no mind.

"Of what?"

"Haizaki's been accepted as the new alpha," she said, and Tetsuya swore his heart stopped.

Aomine cursed and slammed his fist against the door frame. "I fucking _knew_ it!"

"I see." Tetsuya's voice didn't shake. "Thank you for taking the time to inform me, Riko-san."

"Kuroko-kun..." Riko sounded off. Perhaps it was the news about Haizaki, but Tetsuya was sure there was something else she wanted to say. "Well, never mind all that. I have a few other people to call. Take care of yourself!"

Tetsuya set his phone back down on his dresser. He didn't turn to face Aomine, not right away. He wouldn't move until the trembling in his shoulders was under control, until every last trace of panic was smoothed from his face. 

"Tetsu, you get where this is going, right?" Aomine grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. "You have to come with me. Your human would be better off, too." He tacked the last part on as an afterthought. 

"I'll have to go pay my respects once the initiation day is settled on." Tetsuya felt hollow. "I won't have a choice. And I won't stir up anymore trouble, not when Haizaki-san is probably waiting to make an example of someone." Though if he were honest with himself, Tetsuya suspected Haizaki had already chosen that someone.

~

Tetsuya wondered how long he had before Haizaki came for him.

He spent the morning after Aomine left dwelling on it, turning the possibilities over in his mind. There was nothing stopping him save for the initiation ritual itself. Once that was done with, once the entire clan had pledged obedience to their new alpha, Haizaki could do whatever he wanted. He'd be the new owner of Tetsuya's home, would already have a key in hand. If he so desired, he could come in while Tetsuya was sleeping, stand over his bed, and slit his throat. Hazaki could find Kise, could make Tetsuya watch him die.

Tetsuya squeezed his tea cup so hard it shattered.

The shards of glass spearing into his palm brought him back to reality. Whatever Haizaki intended to do, it was at least three days a way. He was still alive. Kise was still alive. For the moment, Tetsuya couldn't ask for anything more.

He swept up the glass and tossed it, then went to the bathroom to doctor his hand. There were three smaller pieces he had to tweeze out, and without the glass obstructing the wound, his natural healing abilities tool over. Within half an hour, he'd be fine, not even a pale pink scar left behind as a reminder.

But the optimism he'd managed to cling to for that brief moment slipped away easier than it came. Tetsuya felt the weight of despair pressing down on him. He suddenly wanted nothing more than to hear Kise's voice, to know he was alive, breathing, _whole_. He went for his phone, and the first thing he noticed was the message from the night before, the picture Kise had sent him of himself. Unknowingly, Kise had pieced together a large part of the puzzle. He was frighteningly perceptive for a human.

The picture was embarrassing to look at. He'd actually preened for the photo, sitting up with his head tilted at an angle like a show dog, as though he didn't have a shred of humanity anywhere in him. Tetsuya quickly deleted the picture and send a reply: _I can't say I recognize him_.

He'd barely put the phone down when it began to ring.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise greeted him. Tetsuya winced away from the phone. "How could you not recognize him? The eyes! It was the eyes!"

"You're imagining things, Kise-kun. Don't include me in your delusions."

"So cruel!" Another wail. Kise's histrionics were surprisingly comforting. "Anyway, last night was _so weird_. That dog, he literally escorted me to the train! And then, this weird guy ran into me. He was so rude! But the dog _scared him off_. I hope I can find that dog again. I'll name him this time!" Kise didn't seem to need to breathe. He just kept talking and talking, and Tetsuya, rather than basking in it, was struck by a rather forceful thought. 

Aomine had chased Kise down on accident, thinking he was Tetsuya. And no matter what Aomine said, he wasn't nearly as familiar with Tetsuya's scent as his fellow clan members were. Kise on his own was helpless. Anyone could find him on accident. What they did after...

"Don't you have any friends to tell this to?" Tetsuya said, the words pouring out of his mouth on autopilot. "Or is the classmate you've known for barely a month your only confidant?" _I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that_ , he wanted to add on, but his mouth wouldn't cooperate. 

On the other end of the line, silence. Then, "I--I thought _we_ were friends." Kise's voice broke at the end. 

He went too far. He went way, way, _way_ too far, and Tetsuya could _feel_ the hurt in Kise's voice as though it were a knife in his chest. "Kise-k--"

The call ended. Kise had hung up on him. Tetsuya wondered if Kise would cry real tears this time.

He tossed his phone on the bed, then sat down on the edge of it, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his clasped hands. Turning Kise away wasn't going to help. He _knew_ that. The damage was already done the moment he detected Haizaki's scent on Kise. But the idea of being the one to cause Kise's death, to drag him into violence of Tetsuya's world, didn't settle well. It made Tetsuya's stomach writhe and his heart ache, and how terrible was that? He couldn't decide if it would be more painful to let Kise go or to hold onto him. 

"I've made a mistake," he said aloud to his empty bedroom. He wished for a moment that Aomine was still there, if only hear the censuring words he so rightfully deserved. _Get your ass up and go after him_ , he could imagine Aomine saying. _What kind of idiot are you?_

"A terrible one," Tetsuya answered. "Hardheaded. You know that well."

Imaginary Aomine dissipated, and Tetsuya was left alone with his thoughts. But the moment had been enough. He stood and pulled off his shirt and the rest of his clothes, folding them onto his bed. He could still fix this. He _had_ to fix this. Kise didn't know what a mess Tetsuya had made of things yet, so he didn't know to be careful. Even if Kise refused to speak to Tetsuya, he knew exactly who Kise would be _thrilled_ to see.

Tetsuya walked to the front door and opened it a crack, then stood back. The shift was like a breath of fresh air, the burden of complex emotions disappearing as his body rearranged itself. He stood on four furry legs as he padded out the door and snapped it closed behind him, a maneuver borne from years of practice. He couldn't say for certain where Kise would be, but it was a Thursday. He recalled Kise mentioning a Thursday class, so the university would be his best bet.

His goal established, Tetsuya darted out of his building, venturing out into the city proper.

~

The moment he found Kise, Tetsuya had to fight off a sense of unreality. Kise smelled like him. A _lot_ like him. Tetsuya could see how Aomine would be confuse, but rather than the smell he associated with Kise, he was smothered in Tetsuya's own scent. Had they spent that much time together? It hadn't seemed that way. Tetsuya felt like they spent too much time apart, if anything, and it was a feeling he found alarming.

Kise was on the move. He looked drained, the bags under his eyes dark, his skin not as vibrant as usual. Miserable, that was the word. Kise looked miserable. Not even being shifted stopped the stab of guilt that lanced through Tetsuya at the sight of him.

He couldn't apologize, so he did the next best thing. He barked.

Kise whirled around, his eyes finally landing on Tetsuya. He broke into a wide grin and jogged over to squat down in front of him and scratch under Tetsuya's chin. "It's you! Ah, I was hoping I'd find you!" His grin faded. He was looking directly into Tetsuya's eyes. "It's been a bad day," Kise said. "You were a good escort last night. Stay with me?"

Though Tetsuya was loathe to lower himself to doing 'tricks', he held his paw out. Kise grabbed it immediately, his face brightening once more. "You can shake! You're so smart, Tetsuya."

Had Tetsuya been human, his eyes would have surely bugged out of his head.

"That was his name," Kise explained. "The one who has your same eyes." He stroked behind Tetsuya's ears. "I figured if I'd never be able to say the name to him, at least I could say it to you. I, ah, I don't think he likes me that much." Kise winced. "Or at all."

 _I don't dislike you_ , Tetsuya wanted to say. _It's the opposite, if anything_. He 'woofed' instead, butting his head against Kise's hands.

It made Kise laugh, a sound Tetsuya had sorely missed. "I have to get going," he said, looking at his wrist watch. "Want to walk with me?" He stood and gesture toward the road. Tetsuya trotted off in that direction, turning back to look at Kise when he didn't move. "You really are smart," Kise murmured, then took a few jogging steps to catch up with him.

They walked in silence. Every once in a while, Kise would look down at Tetsuya and break into a smile so wide it made his eyes wrinkle. Tetsuya didn't know where they were going, but he'd long decided to follow Kise as long as he could. So when Kise walked between two buildings into an alleyway, of course Tetsuya followed him. But the moment he stepped into the mouth of the alley, the smell hit him.

Another shifter was close by.

He would have ignored it if it had been a feline or even one of the snakes, but the scent was clearly canine and clearly unfriendly. He darted forward, biting at the hem of Kise's pants. He tried to drag him back but Kise swatted him away. "Ah, Tetsuya! Don't do that! These are designer!"

 _You're an idiot_ , Tetsuya wanted to say. _Turn back or you might die!_ But no amount of frantic barking made a difference. Kise kept walking. And the scent grew stronger. 

By the time Tetsuya could hear the growling, the scent was so potent it was like a physical presence draped over him. He knew without seeing the other canine he wouldn't be a match. He could hear Aomine's words from that morning, _you're no match for anyone_ , like a warning, but once again, Aomine's advice had come too late. 

Kise stumbled back a few steps at the sight of the other dog. "Oh, shit," he muttered.

The other shifter was an unfamiliar face, though as numerous as the canines were, that wasn't a surprise. What _was_ a surprise was how large he was. His teeth were bared in a snarl, the fur on his back standing rigid. He was there for a fight, and he wasn't looking at Tetsuya.

Kise was trying to push Tetsuya back toward the mouth of the alley and the safety of the streets, but there was no time for that. As the dog shifted, preparing to pounce, Tetsuya darted through Kise's legs and launched himself at the unknown shifter, teeth bared and a prayer in his mind: _let Kise-kun be smart enough to run!_

The other dog batted him away, Tetsuya's smaller body sprawling into a head of trash pressed into the wall of the alley, but that didn't stop him. Adrenalin coursing through him, Tetsuya let his body roll back to his feet, and he shot back at the dog like a bullet, clamping his jaw down on the dog's leg. The other shifter let out a satisfying whine, but mere seconds later, the dog's teeth bared down on Tetsuya's back in a vice grip as he slung Tetsuya's smaller body away.

Getting up from _that_ wasn't going to be so easy.

"Fuck off!" Kise abruptly hollered, swinging what looked like the thick wooden leg of a chair at the shifter's head. Caught off guard, the shifter didn't have time to react. The shifter dropped like a stone, silent and still. Kise scrambled over to Tetsuya, his eyes wide with panic. The last thing Tetsuya saw before closing his eyes was Kise's face. 

No matter what happened, that image alone made it worthwhile.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my fanfiction productivity peaks when i have actual adult things to do. board certification exam??? job hunting??? no....

The first thing Ryouta did when he got home was get Tetsuya comfortable. He checked over the wounds, which appeared to be shallow teeth marks slowly oozing blood. Then he called Midorima.

"Kise," Midorima said with an air of suffering, "I've said this before. I'm a student."

"A _med_ student!"

"Yes," Midorima agreed. "A medical student. Learning how to practice medicine. On _humans_."

Ryouta chewed on his bottom lip for a few moments before trying, "Isn't it all kind of the same?"

Midorima didn't hesitate to shoot him down. "Not even a little."

"But this dog, he saved me!" Panic squeezed Ryouta's chest at the thought of letting little Tetsuya down. "I can't just let him die!"

Midorima sighed loudly. "You said he was bitten by a larger dog? And then thrown? I doubt he'll die, but you should take him to a veterinarian." He paused, then added snidely, "That's a doctor for animals. Imagine."

"Midorimacchi!" Ryouta wailed into the phone. His response was a click. "He hung up on me?" Ryouta stared at the screen, then groaned and tossed it onto the loveseat.

Maybe it was ridiculous, how responsible he felt for the little dog's injuries. But Tetsuya had protected him, had thrown himself at the larger dog like it was his job. That couldn't be normal! Ryouta didn't know much about dogs, but Tetsuya seemed almost human in his intelligence.

He'd thought about about calling Kuroko, but after their last conversation, he couldn't. Those biting words were Kuroko's answer to Ryouta's unspoken desires. There was no future there.

Tetsuya whimpered, loud enough for it to be heard from the living room. Ryouta went to where he'd laid Tetsuya out on a nest of blankets and stroked his soft fur. The bleeding had stopped, leaving behind a bite shaped series of small scabs. No broken bones that Ryouta could tell, but what if something else was wrong? He should have gone straight to a vet, but he'd panicked. "I'll look one up," he said, giving Tetsuya one last stroke. It was getting on in the evening, but there had to be an emergency animal center _somewhere_ in central Tokyo.

Just as Ryouta stood up, Tetsuya whimpered again, but it sounded wrong, much too deep for the small dog. Then his body began to twitch. Ryouta was about to panic again, fearing it was some kind of seizure, that he'd lost the chance to save the poor dog, when Tetsuya's legs began to move.

No, Ryouta realized numbly, Tetsuya's legs were _growing_.

But perhaps growing wasn't the right word either. It was grotesque to watch, the way the dog's little legs began to stretch and writhe, the bones bulging as his limbs began to reshape themselves. The rest of the body followed suit, and while it happened in the space of five or so seconds, to Ryouta it felt like an eternity. As he watched, unable to comprehend the sight before him, the little dog he'd come to be so fond of became the _man_ he'd grown close to in such a short time it baffled him.

Then it was over. Tetsuya the dog was gone, replaced by Kuroko Tetsuya the human, who was so obviously _naked in Ryouta's bed_ that Ryouta couldn't even blink. He could barely _breathe_. Hysteria crashed over him, and he very nearly started laughing. He managed to slap a hand over his mouth just in time, the thought _I can't let him wake up_ looping endlessly through his mind.

Tetsuya was Kuroko. Or perhaps it was better to say Kuroko was Tetsuya? Was a dog. And apparently stalking Ryouta, which wasn't exactly a new experience but was somehow both worse and better than anything he'd known before. Kuroko, who had been so cruel to him just that afternoon, must have... what? Changed into a dog and hunted him down? To comfort him?

Ryouta couldn't stifle the hysterical giggles.

Just what _was_ Kuroko? A werewolf? No, Ryouta decided, finally allowing his weak knees to win the battle as he sank to the ground, unable to look away from the unconscious man in his bed. No, a werewolf would be big, would it? So... weredog?

The wounds on Kuroko had carried over to his human form, but under Ryouta's watchful gaze, they began to heal. It happened so fast he nearly missed it, the wounds shrinking away until there wasn't a trace of them left. It looked like special effects from a sci-fi movie. "Unbelievable," Ryouta said weakly. He covered his mouth again, afraid to make another sound for fear he might start screaming. Was he in danger? Was Kuroko dangerous?

On the bed, Kuroko groaned and shifted, curling into a tight ball beneath the blankets. He nearly disappeared into pile of them, just a tuft of blue hair visible. It was adorable, actually, and if Ryouta hadn't been so close to a panic attack he might have taken a picture.

He needed out of that room. Ryouta couldn't bring himself to stare at Kuroko any longer, not while the rising tide of panic and hysteria and anger and an infinite number of other emotions warred inside him, threatening to make him crumble. No, he needed out, needed to find somewhere to breathe. He needed to process.

He probably needed a drink.

Ryouta managed to get back on his feet and walk out the door, but he paused just outside the threshold and looked back at Kuroko, slumbering peacefully in his bed. "I just need to think," he whispered. Even as conflicted as he felt, as scared as he was, Ryouta didn't want to hurt Kuroko. No amount of cruel words or strange abilities could separate Ryouta from the quickly growing affection for Kuroko holding court in his heart.

~

Ryouta knew the exact moment Kuroko woke up. He'd been standing in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee and mourning the fact that he didn't have a drop of liquor in his apartment, when he heard the floorboard in his bedroom creak. He'd know that sound anywhere, heard it every morning. Kuroko wouldn't have known to avoid it. Ryouta put his mug down on the counter and steeled himself.

No going back now...

He opened the bedroom door and found himself greeted by the sight of Tetsuya the dog, panting happily in front of him. For a split second, Ryouta considered pretending he hadn't seen anything. It would have been easier. They could have both continued on their ways with no conflict, but Ryouta knew he couldn't. The truth would weigh on him, growing heavier and heavier until he finally exploded.

Gathering his courage, he looked down at the dog. "Change," he said, hating the way his voice shook. "Please, Kurokocchi. I've seen it. Change _back_." He could hear the thickness in his voice and knew he'd start crying at any moment. He'd always been a crier, but Kuroko seemed to bring that side of him out more often than usual.

The dog froze. He looked like a tiny lifelike statue, and Ryouta, in that moment, wouldn't have been surprised to see him turn to stone. But then all at once the dog slumped and walked back to the bed, hoping up and situating himself in the blankets. This time when he shifted, Ryouta looked away.

"So you saw," were the first words Kuroko said to him. He sat up on the edge of the bed, his bare feet resting on the floor and a comforter strategically placed over his lap.

"Kind of hard to miss." Ryouta couldn't look at Kuroko for long, his gaze continuously falling away from the man in his bed before inevitably returning. He hadn't started crying yet, though. That was a bonus.

"I--I apologize." Kuroko stared at the ground, licked his lips. He looked ashamed, the corners of his lips tugging down into a deep frown. "This isn't what I wanted. I--I just thought--"

"You said we weren't friends." Finally, Ryouta managed to look at him. "You were really mean about it."

Kuroko drew one of the other blankets to him, wrapping it around his body like a shield. "I didn't mean that," he said quietly. "I was afraid. You scare me, Kise-kun."

The admission made Ryouta's heart skip a beat. "I scare you? How do I scare you?" Ryouta demanded, pretending his face wasn't burning. "You've been following me around! You've been sending out these crazy mixed signals! And you're apparently a _weredog_!" Kuroko flinched. "Shouldn't I be the one who's scared?"

"Are you?" Kuroko asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Are you afraid of me?"

And Ryouta realized then that he really wasn't. He wasn't afraid Kuroko would hurt him - physically, anyway. He'd already broken Ryouta's heart, so what was one more nail in the coffin? "I'm not afraid of you," he admitted, "but I'm not sure if I trust you."

Kuroko looked panicked, though the expression smoothed over into something bland as quickly as it had appeared. "I couldn't tell you, Kise-kun. I wasn't allowed. I--if I could have, I would have."

"Then why push me away? You could have just kept on not telling me. It wasn't like I'd suspect something so outlandish!"

Kuroko looked off, his eyes glazing over. Then he shook his head. "I wish it were that simple. But it's not. It never will be." He took a deep breath. "You're in danger, Kise-kun. You're in danger _because_ I didn't push you away. Not quick enough. I should have kept you at a distance. It was selfish of me, and I apologize."

"What?" Ryouta laughed, a sound edged with anxiety. "How am I in danger? It's not like we did anything wrong!"

"There's a lot you don't understand," Kuroko said. "About me, and about the people like me. Our society is different. There are," Kuroko hesitated, "rules. Biases. Human expectations and shifter expectations are quite different."

"Shifter, huh?" Ryouta crossed the room and sat on the bed, careful to leave space between them. "Like what? What's so different? I mean, other than the, you know," he gestured at Kuroko, "dog thing."

For the first time since he'd shifted in front of Ryouta, Kuroko smiled. "We're not all canine, you know."

"No?"

Kuroko shook his head. "In Tokyo, there are three main clans. The canine, the feline, and the snake. Of them, the canine clan, _my_ clan, is the least tolerant of humans."

That didn't make a lot of sense, Ryouta thought. "What do mean? You guys kind of live among us, right? It's not like you commit hate crimes or whatever. We'd all know about you!"

"That's exactly what some of us have been doing," Kuroko said. His closed his eyes for a brief moment and swallowed, as though steeling himself. "The string of murders? It's one of us."

Everything Ryouta had heard about the supposed serial killer in Tokyo came flooding back to him. He remembered his manager making a huge deal of it, how terrified she seemed. None of it had seemed real to Ryouta. Massacred bodies? Regular attacks? It wasn't something he could comprehend, not so close to home. "Why?" he asked. "Why would they?"

"It's more complicated than I know how to explain," Kuroko admitted. He shifted restlessly, drawing the blankets in closer. "There's politics involved. A lot of posturing from people who wanted to be alpha when ours died." He paused, then added, "Our alpha is our leader."

"So... a bunch of people wanted to be in charge," Ryouta summed up. "And they.... started killing humans?"

Kuroko hummed. "It's... not exactly like that. When our former alpha died unexpectedly, the clan sort of," he paused, "fractured. It was so sudden, and he was so young. Barely in his thirties. Shifters live a great deal longer than humans, so he was in his prime, but he died in his sleep. He never had the chance to groom a successor."

"So you're all fighting about who's in charge?" Shifters and humans weren't so different after all!

"It's not a democracy, Kise-kun. I barely register to most of the clan members. Personally, I have no say in the matter. Strength is surest indicator of an alpha, and the strongest of our clan is a man with a chip on his shoulder. He despises humans, and he doesn't see the majority of our clan as being much better. To him, the ultimate sin is to take the side of humankind." Kuroko let out a shaky sound, suddenly looking much more vulnerable than Ryouta was comfortable with. "He knows about you. He's sent warnings. It... it seems likely he intends to make an example out of me."

The fear he felt early was nothing compared to the terror settling over him now. "An example?" Ryouta echoed blankly. "As in..."

"I believe he intends to kill me," Kuroko clarified. "And you as well. I'm sorry, Kise-kun. I should have known it would come to this. Someone like him--" Kuroko clenched his jaw, frustration finally bleeding into his expression. "I should have never allowed you to be dragged into this."

Ryouta searched for the words that would fix this. But words alone couldn't lift a death sentence, nor could they soothe Kuroko's guilt. So instead, he reached over and took Kuroko's hand, lacing their fingers together. "Kurokocchi," he said as gently as he could, "I'm glad I met you."

Kuroko tried to tug his hand away, but he only maintained the facade of resistance for a moment. Just as quickly, he relented, closing the space between them and sagging forward so his forehead rested on Ryouta's shoulder. "I'm sorry," Kuroko said. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry." 

"I've been cruel to you." Kuroko lifted his head and looked at Ryouta. "I--even though I knew it was too late to let you go. I was afraid. Terrified."

"It's okay," Ryouta said again. Then, courage taking hold of him, "I like you, Kurokocchi. I've liked you since I met you, I think."

Kuroko - quiet, stoic, aloof Kuroko - went pink. Yet again, Ryouta found himself wishing for a camera. Then Kuroko had to go and ruin the moment. "I thought you were obnoxious and full of yourself when we first met." But before Ryouta could complain of the unfairness of that assessment, Kuroko added, "But the more I came to know you, the more you grew on me." He squeezed Ryouta's hand. "I like you," he admitted. "I could easily love you, Kise-kun. I wish time was on our side." The resignation was clear in his voice. Kuroko expected to die. 

"Isn't there something we can do?" Ryouta asked. "We could--we could leave Japan! I have money, you know. I could ask for some overseas jobs and--"

"They'd find us before we made it to the airport," Kuroko said. "Maybe if we had some help, but I just--it's not possible. Any other clan that took us in would have a war on their hands. I'm not valuable enough to justify it, and the fact that most other clans preach tolerance hardly means they'll fight for a human's sake." He went quiet for a moment. "But you're right. We can't give up. I decided to protect you when I first realized you were being targeted. I can't go back on that promise just because it seems hopeless."

"You don't have to do it alone," Ryouta said. He bumped their foreheads together, grinning as widely as he could manage. "I might be human, but I'm not useless. We'll make something happen." No matter how afraid he was, Ryouta wouldn't let it show. He shoved his fear, his uncertainty, everything he couldn't handle away into the corner of his mind, stuffed into a box labeled DO NOT OPEN. If they survived, maybe he'd revisit those negative parts, but until the end arrived, he'd support Kuroko. 

As though he could see into Ryouta's head, Kuroko huffed a reluctant laugh. Then he kissed Ryouta.

It wasn't earth shattering. It was slow, sweet. Kuroko kissed him like Ryouta was something precious and fragile, something he wanted to treasure. Ryouta wanted more. He traced Kuroko's bottom lip with his tongue, deepened the kiss until they were pressed together, holding each other tight. Ryouta wanted to push Kuroko down, to slide their bodies together, but it was over all too quickly. 

Kuroko pushed Ryouta away with one of those small crooked smiles. "Save that for another day," he said. "For now..." His smile turned sheepish. "If it isn't too much trouble, could I borrow some clothes?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i passed my board exam. its like a christmas miracle.... as always, thanks for the support!

There was a part of Tetsuya still waiting for Kise to turn his back on him, even as they walked back to his apartment. Kise crowded into his space, walking so close their sides brushed together as they walked. Tetsuya found it endearing, though he admitted to himself that likely had to do more with Kise than with a sudden enjoyment of having his personal space violated.

 

"I could make you breakfast," Kise was saying. "I can pretty much cook anything! Well, as long as I have a recipe." He looked so _happy_ , his face nearly glowing. Tetsuya couldn't help but wonder: had he really been the one to put that smile on Kise's face? It didn't seem possible. He'd brought so much bad down on Kise.

 

As though he could sense the negative turn of Tetsuya's thoughts, Kise grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together and carrying on like he hadn't done anything.

 

"You're free to do what you want," Tetsuya said, "but only if you promise not to poison me."

 

"Kurokocchi! You have no faith in me, do you?"

 

"I know I certainly don't."

 

Tetsuya grabbed Kise's wrist and pulled him behind him on instinct, but he felt himself relax when he saw Riko standing at the gate, dressed in jogging sweats and looking more bored than urgent.

 

"Riko-san."

 

She nodded at him, though Kise drew her gaze. "I have a message. The initiation's been scheduled for tomorrow night. Make sure you come." She frowned. "Alone. Outsiders aren't allowed. You know the rules."

 

"Of course," Tetsuya said. Kise's thumb stroked the back of his hand soothingly, a reminder that he wasn't alone. "Though I must admit, I'm surprised you came all this way. You usually just call."

 

"There's something I wanted to confirm," Riko said.

 

Tetsuya wasn't surprised. Riko's presence told him what he already suspected: word had spread through the clan of his attachment to a human. But Riko, true to form, wasn't swayed by public opinion. The look she pinned Tetsuya with wasn't one of disgust or disapproval but rather concern.

 

"You've been careless," she said, then abruptly changed the subject. "You know the time and place. It never changes. Make sure you're there or someone will have to come get you."

 

He knew. "I wouldn't miss it," he said. They both knew the words were hollow.

 

His relationship with Riko was a complicated one. He couldn't call her a friend, mostly out of respect for her and awareness of his own place in the clan. Riko was a good person, a natural leader. But her strength was in her mind and her compassion. She felt for those around her, would fight for them until the end, but though Tetsuya would easily sacrifice himself to see someone like Riko as alpha, she had no chance of winning a succession battle against Haizaki.

 

Nevertheless, she'd shown him care over the years. The Kagetora family was old, a branch off of Nijimura's predecessor's family. No matter what happened with Haizaki, Riko's standing in the clan was safe - so long as she didn't challenge him. Tetsuya could see the resignation written plainly in the tense set of her shoulders and her hooded eyes. Everything was about to change, they both knew, and none of it would be for the better.

 

Riko reached out and grabbed his shoulder, gave it a tight squeeze. "Be safe, Kuroko-kun," she said.

 

Tetsuya wanted to say the same. He wanted to warn her, to tell her to run. He wanted a thousand selfish things that he could never say, but the sentiment was mutual, reflected in Riko's eyes and the glaze of tears that refused to fall. She ducked her head away and moved to cross the street.

 

"I've got a few stops to make," she said, raising a hand to wave them off. "I'll see you around!"

 

"Goodbye, Riko-san," Tetsuya said, tasting the finality of the moment.

 

Kise stood behind him, watching it all unfold. He'd clearly wanted to interrupt but had manfully resisted. "Is everything all right?"

 

"No." Tetsuya wouldn't lie again, not to Kise. "But there's nothing to be done right now. Besides," he nudged Kise back toward the gate, "didn't you promise me breakfast?"

~

Kise floated into the kitchen where he found nothing but eggs and bread. This discovery didn't dampen his enthusiasm in the least. "Don't worry, Kurokocchi! I can work with this. You just relax." He looked so determined Tetsuya couldn't bring himself to argue.

 

"I'll just watch." He sat down at the table, bemused. He'd never been served in his own kitchen before. What a novel experience.

 

Kise didn't ask where anything was. He took his time opening all the cabinets and investigating. Most of them were empty, as Tetsuya preferred to live with as few things as he could manage on, constantly living under the shadow of the possibility that his home could be taken from him at any moment. Kise found the frying pan finally and set it on the burner, then made a surprised sound. "Is this yours?" He held up an envelope he'd found on the counter.

 

"Oh." Tetsuya reached out for it, and Kise brought it to him. "I received this yesterday, but with everything that happened, I completely forgot about it." He opened the envelope and unfolded the letter inside.

 

_Let's meet soon. I have a vested interest in keeping you around, you know. Dinner? Call at your leisure._

 

The letter was so brief and casual that Tetsuya would never have assumed it was from someone as important as Imayoshi if Aomine hadn't told him so himself.

 

"A vested interest?" Kise read over his shoulder. "Who's it from? Do you know?"

 

"The alpha of another clan."

 

"Whoa, seriously? Isn't that kind of important?" Kise read over the letter again. "Maybe he wants to help?"

 

"Imayoshi-san is a very important man, if a little... unorthodox. I wouldn't presume to ask him to intervene. That would put his clan at great risk." Tetsuya folded the letter back up and tucked it away in the envelope. "Finish breakfast," he instructed, standing to retrieve his phone. "I need to make a call. I'll be right back."

 

"All right," Kise said, concerned. Tetsuya wanted to reassure him, but he didn't know if the concern was warranted or not.

 

The message Imayoshi had sent to him before was still on his phone, along with the number. He called it and listened to it ring a few times before the other line picked up.

 

"Kuroko-kun, what a pleasure," Imayoshi greeted. "I take it you got my message?"

 

"Aomine-kun delivered it yesterday. My apologies for not contacting you sooner. It was an eventful day."

 

"Something tells me that's quite the understatement." Whenever Imayoshi spoke, there was a hint of mischief in his drawling accent, something that suggested he knew about a joke you weren't in on. "When's the initiation?"

 

Tetsuya was relieved not to have to explain the situation. "Tomorrow afternoon."

 

"Then we'd better not waste any time," Imayoshi replied. "Aomine will bring you to me tonight, say, around seven? And bring that handsome friend of yours."

 

A flush crept across the bridge of Tetsuya's nose. Did _everyone_ know about his relationship with Kise? All he was missing was a call from the bear clan in Kyoto! "If you insist," he said, keeping his tone as bland as possible. "We'll be there."

 

"That's the spirit," Imayoshi said. Then he hung up without another word.

 

Tetsuya stared at the phone, troubled by how much Imayoshi hadn't said. What did he want with him in the first place? Tetsuya couldn't imagine why he claimed to have a vested interest in keeping him around, unless it had something to do with keeping Aomine in line. Or perhaps Aomine really had convinced his alpha to take Tetsuya in? Where before he balked at the idea of leaving his clan and becoming a potential burden on another, Tetsuya's mind was now torn. The sound of Kise clattering pans and dishes in the kitchen and humming loudly kept him from making any rash decisions. He'd vowed to protect Kise, hadn't he? If Imayoshi offered him a safehouse...

 

"Kurokocchi, I finished!" Kise sing-songed from the kitchen. "Ah, it smells so good! Even I'm amazed by my talent!"

 

Tetsuya broke into a grin that he quickly hid. If nothing else, he was thankful for Kise's continued optimism. It was the only thing standing between him and succumbing to his fear. "I'm coming," he called back, leaving his phone where it was in his room. He knew what he had to do now. Any other calls would either be pointless or more bad news.

 

Kise had already dished up breakfast: poached eggs and toast. He looked terribly pleased with himself, like a dog that thought he'd done something clever and was waiting for praise. "It looks delicious," Tetsuya allowed.

 

"I'm sure it tastes even better," Kise said, then urged him to eat.

 

They finished the food in silence. Tetsuya hadn't realized how hungry he'd been until the first bite was in his mouth. He finished quickly, almost wishing there was a second plate. "We're meeting with him tonight," Tetsuya announced, "Imayoshi-san."

 

"We're meeting with an alpha?" Kise's hesitance was understandable. "What for? What does he want?"

 

"I don't know," Tetsuya admitted. "But he apparently wants to keep me alive. And he specifically invited you."

 

" _Me_?" Kise looked flabbergasted. "How does he even know about me?"

 

"He knows about a lot of things he has no business knowing," Tetsuya explained. "It's what his reputation is built on."

 

Kise pushed the last bits of food around his plate, frowning. "Is it... safe?"

 

"I'm not sure. But one of my oldest friends will be there. He's one of Imayoshi-san's subordinates. I don't think he'd let anything happen to us without a fight." Or at least not to Tetsuya, but that was a can of worms he wasn't going to open right then.

 

"All right," Kise said, blowing out a long breath. "I trust you, Kurokocchi. Let's do it."

 

Tetsuya nodded, smiling gratefully. He could only hope Imayoshi did them more good than harm.

~

Not long after Imayoshi hung up, Aomine sent a rather lengthy message about meeting at the usual court at half past six and how terrible Tetsuya's taste was. He seemed especially irate that Kise was a model, though Tetsuya couldn't imagine why.

 

So half past six found Tetsuya leading Kise to the court which had become his and Aomine's point of reference for almost everything.

 

"It's where we met," Tetsuya explained. "We were both basketball fanatics at the time. Aomine-kun, even now, still demands to play anyone he thinks isn't a waste of effort." Very few people ever make that cut. Tetsuya's still amazed he managed.

 

"He sounds like an interesting guy," Kise said, strangely excited to meet one of Tetsuya's friends. "Maybe he and I can play!"

 

"I didn't know you liked basketball, Kise-kun."

 

"I played most everything," Kise said. He didn't elaborate.

 

"Guys who can't stick with one thing aren't dependable." Aomine stood at the edge of the court, narrowing his eyes at Kise.

 

"That must make you exceptionally dependable, Aomine-kun."

 

"Shut it, Tetsu," he muttered. He stalked over to them, a cat on the prowl, and got in Kise's face. "Can't _believe_ this guy is the one you're going through all this trouble for..."

 

"Hey!" Kise whined, but Aomine ignored him.

 

"No taste," he said to Tetsuya. "Not even a little."

 

"I won't hear that from the likes of you," Tetsuya said. "You're the very definition of a prowling tomcat."

 

Aomine went a touch pink, flustered by the accusation. "Damn it, Tetsu!" He kicked the ground, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Well, whatever. What's done is done. Imayoshi's waiting, so drag your model boytoy this way."

 

Kise huffed and pouted all the way, but under Tetsuya's watch, he didn't respond to Aomine's baiting.

 

The feline clan was much more spread out than Tetsuya's, but everything important happened in The Cat's Eye, Imayoshi's bar. It was a base of operations, of sorts, a common gathering ground. According to rumor - and Aomine - Imayoshi held his initiation there, flouting years of tradition. If Tetsuya hadn't approved of him before, that would have done it.

 

The bar was an old squat one level brick building sandwiched between a convenience store with barred windows and an empty three level office building. Aomine unlocked the door to the bar which Tetsuya was surprised to find closed.

 

"Isn't it too early to close? Tetsuya asked.

 

Aomine grunted. "He doesn't like working _and_ doing business."

 

Kise kept close to Tetsuya, nearly plastered to his back. He could tell Kise was afraid, but the only reassurance he could offer was a smile and a nod.

 

Aomine led them back into the VIP lounge, where Imayoshi was sharing a bottle of wine with a redheaded man Tetsuya hadn't seen before. Aomine left without saying anything else, stumbling in his haste to get away. The redheaded man looked at Tetsuya, and the intensity of his gaze pinned him in place. His eyes were different colors, one gold and one red. Tetsuya felt like that should mean something, but he couldn't recall what.

 

"Oh, good. You're here," Imayoshi said, clapping his hands once. He stood and gestured at the other man. "I'd like you to meet a mutual friend of ours, Kuroko-kun. This is Akashi Seijurou."

 

That's when it hit Tetsuya. This was _the_ Akashi, the youngest alpha the snakes ever had. Everything Tetsuya ever heard about him was terrifying. Kise must have felt the pressure of Akashi's presence because he was all but clinging to Tetsuya's back.

 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kuroko Tetsuya," Akashi said. He gestured at an empty chair. "Come, we have much to discuss."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks as always for the support! the rating is going to go up next chapter. way way up.

Ryouta couldn't decide if he was terrified or just overwhelmed. Both alphas exerted a sort of pressure that filled the room, leaving everyone else in it feeling claustrophobic. Kuroko looked all right on first glance, but his poker face wasn't perfect. Ryouta was beginning to learn his tells, to know what a slight clenching of Kuroko's jaw or when he kept his hands fisted in his lap meant. Kuroko was afraid; he just didn't want anyone to know it.

Ryouta couldn't blame him.

"Aren't you two just a pair," one of the alphas - Imayoshi, wasn't it? - said, leering over the rims of his glasses at them. Ryouta didn't know what to say or even if he was allowed to speak, so for the first ten minutes, he kept his mouth stubbornly shut. It wasn't until Imayoshi said, "Kuroko-kun, is your friend here deaf? Or do you just keep him on a short leash?"

"Kurokocchi wouldn't treat me like that," flew out of Ryouta's mouth before he could stop himself. 

"Oh, it _does_ speak," Imayoshi said, laughing. He refilled his glass with a sweet smelling purple wine, then tipped off Kuroko's and Ryouta's even though neither of them had touched their drinks. "Charming. Tell me, how did you two meet?"

Kuroko, in that characteristically blunt way of his, answered: "Through university. Kise-kun skipped an important class, and I was forced to work with him as a consequence. I have yet to determine which of us were being punished."

"So mean!" Ryouta couldn't even help it; flying into hysterics was second nature by now. "It wasn't a punishment! And it worked out really well, didn't it?"

Kuroko leveled him with a flat stare. "Yes, Kise-kun, it worked out marvelously."

Ryouta winced. He had a point. "Right... Well. No one's perfect," he muttered, finally grabbing the glass. A sip of wine (or maybe three or four glasses) sounded fantastic. But Kuroko grabbed his wrist, forcing him to put the glass down. 

"Do you not trust us, Tetsuya?" Akashi's overly personal way of speaking unsettled Ryouta, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Akashi seemed like the kind of man you obeyed or else disappeared into the night. 

"There are theories," Kuroko said, "that Nijimura-san was killed with poison - snake's venom. You'll have to forgive me, but I won't be reckless."

"Drinks with friends isn't reckless," Imayoshi pointed out.

"Are we friends, Imayoshi-san? Akashi-san?" Kuroko lost what little fear Ryouta could read on him, meeting the alphas twin stares without flinching. 

"I think we're going to be the best of friends," Imayoshi said after a moment. He looked incredibly pleased, though Ryouta couldn't say why. It was like they were being tested, and whatever the test was, Kuroko was clearly passing.

Akashi reached across the table and grabbed Kuroko's glass. He took a swig of it and put it down, then repeated with Ryouta's glass. When he sat back in his seat, his smile had taken on an edge. "This is safe company," he said. "We have nothing to gain by killing you."

Ah, there it was. Someone finally said it. They all knew Kuroko and Ryouta were walking around with death sentences hanging about their necks, but the conversation from the moment they'd sat down was casual, bizarrely so. They were all circling each other, waiting to see who would break first. 

Being that it was Akashi, however, Ryouta couldn't call it breaking. If anything, Akashi's decision to force the topic was calculated, timed. Ryouta had no doubt he knew exactly what he was doing and how he wanted them to react.

Kuroko took the hint. He drank deeply from his glass, but when Ryouta tried to do the same, Kuroko stopped him again. "One of us should be sober," he explained. Ryouta didn't buy that for a second. But he didn't give Ryouta time to complain, instead addressing Akashi. "Imayoshi-san said the same. However, I can't understand why you'd have any interest in me. I have no standing in my clan, no abilities outside of the norm, and my form is smaller than average. I have nothing to offer you, Akashi-san, so you can understand why I'd be skeptical of your sudden interest in me. Please be clear. I have no interest in playing games."

Imayoshi and Akashi shared a glance. Some sort of understanding must have passed between them because Imayoshi looked away, sighing, and said, "You really are straight forward, aren't you? All right then, I'll bite. You, Kuroko-kun, are the very center of a scandal that could tear apart your clan, and that is something we very much want to happen." He took off his glasses, polishing them on his shirt, and then replaced them. 

Kuroko looked surprised - _actually_ surprised, the emotion bald on his face. "You want me to... sabotage my clan? My family?" 

"How do you feel about your clan, Tetsuya?" Akashi interrupted. "How do you think its faring?"

Ryouta watched Kuroko carefully, saw the ways his eyes dropped, his face shadowed over. "Not well," he admitted. "We've refused to change, to adapt to a world with a human majority. We rely on violence and scorn the human part of our identity when we should be embracing it. There's much more to leading than physical power." He looked up again. "I'm fully aware of the trouble my clan is in. But I'm even more aware there's nothing I can do about it, not as I am."

"You don't miss much, do you?" Akashi smiled that small pleased smile again, the one the raised the hairs on the back of Ryouta's neck. "But you'll find there's quite a bit you can do, if you look at the situation from the correct angle."

Kuroko's frown deepened. "I'm not following."

"The way I see it," Imayoshi said, "you've got two options. Door number one? You die. Quietly. No one knows or gives a damn. Door number two? You use your position to cause a rift in the clan, one deep enough to throw Haizaki off his throne. Don't fool yourself into thinking you're the only one who wants to see change."

"No one would challenge Haizaki for me."

"You're still thinking like you're in the dark ages. Forget your antiquated rituals for a moment! If there was no fight to death, just an uprising, more voices dissenting than agreeing - do you really think no one would get involved?"

Ryouta felt a flare of hope. Would it really be that simple? Just get a bunch of Kuroko's clansmen together and refuse to follow Haizaki? 

"I see," Kuroko said. His eyes narrowed they way they often did when he was intensely focused. "That would require more than just a few people within the clan. There would need to be outside support." He stared Akashi and Imayoshi down for a few moments in a way that almost seemed impudent. "Are you offering your assistance?"

"Of course," Imayoshi said. "With a few conditions."

"Of course," Kuroko echoed. "And those would be?"

"We get the final say in the next alpha," Akashi cut in smoothly. "Consider it a sponsorship of sorts. We want to maintain good relations - better than we've had in the past. If you want your clan to survive a coup, you'll need an alpha willing to make concessions with other clans. Perhaps even with humans."

"I can't give you any of that," Kuroko said. "I don't have that kind of authority. You should be speaking with..." He trailed off, his brow furrowing. "If I name anyone, it won't leave this room?"

"Our lips are sealed," Imayoshi promised.

"There's a woman who would make a good alpha, the kind you're intending to see at the head of the clan," Kuroko began. "Her name is Aida Riko. If you could convince her to help, more than half of the clan would follow. She's strong. Her family is old and has a lot of support."

"You keep saying us. But I'd like to remind you that anything that happens within your clan is entirely up to you," Akashi said. "If Aida Riko is your target, we won't argue. But it's your job to get her on board. We'll take care of all the outside details."

"Will that really work?" Ryouta wondered. Kuroko looked over at him but didn't say a word. Ryouta reached under the table and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight.

"It's as good a plan as any," Imayoshi said. "And I'd suggest you get to work on it pretty damn quick. Tomorrow's going to be a rough day for you."

Kuroko stiffened. "Yes," he said. "We'll... we'll take care of things as quickly as we can. I'll be in touch." He stood, and Ryouta scrambled to follow. Was that really it? They were leaving? He'd been hoping for some kind of solution, maybe an escape route to a foreign country. Now they had to start an uprising? That hardly seemed fair.

Just as Kuroko opened the door, Akashi's voice stopped them. "You said there were rumors about Nijimura being poisoned with snake venom," he said, tracing the rim of his glass with his fingertip. "But I'll have you know this. Nijimura Shuuzou was an old friend with a very unique immunity to most naturally occurring poisons. Perhaps you ought to spend some time considering how he really died?"

Kuroko's face remained blank. He said nothing. When he walked out of the room, Ryouta glanced back at the alphas and found that for the first time, neither of them were smiling.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i finished this one earlier than expected! thanks for all the support.

Nijimura's death wasn't natural or an accident. Tetsuya expected it, but still, the revelation threw him for a loop. He followed Kise to the station in silence, immersed in his thoughts. He didn't notice Kise stopped until he ran into his back.

 

"I think we should go to my place," Kise said. His jaw was set, his mouth  a determined line. "No one should know about it, so it's safer. You can get some rest."

 

"I appreciate the concern, but I don't need to rest," Tetsuya said. "But you have a point. There could be someone waiting for us at my building." Someone less friendly than Riko.

 

Kise nodded. Then, "Kurokocchi, are you really all right?"

 

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

 

"I was terrified," Kise admitted. "I've never felt that kind of pressure before. And I can't help but think it must have been worse for you, being the the center of attention."

 

"It wasn't the most comfortable I've ever been," Tetsuya admitted. "I'm not sure what I expected though. Not Akashi-san, obviously, but perhaps a different sort of offer from Imayoshi-san."

 

Kise shuddered. "Akashi was the worst part. It was the eyes!" It really was. Tetsuya heard rumors about the snake alpha's eyes, how he could force anyone to obey him with a single glance. Having been the focus of that cold gaze, Tetsuya found the rumors much more believable.

 

It was a quarter past eight when they boarded the train for Kise's end of town and already well past sun down. Tetsuya stuck close to Kise and stayed alert, afraid of what even a momentary lapse in attention could cause.

 

Was anyone watching them, even now? Perhaps word of their meeting with the alphas of the clans the canines considered their greatest rivals had already reached Haizaki's ear. Tetsuya couldn't predict what Haizaki would do if that were the case. Would he hunt Tetsuya and Kise down to prevent them from plotting against him? Would he even understand the significance of the meeting? Haizaki wasn't a thinker; he was a doer. He fought tooth and claw without hesitation, dove into violence like it was what he was born for. And if he believed the canine clan's traditions, Tetsuya wouldn't be surprised if Haizaki really did think that's what he was born for.

 

Tension wracked his body the entire train ride, not letting him relax until Kise had locked the door of his apartment behind them. Tetsuya pulled his senses back in and felt weariness settle deep into his bones.

 

"Want some coffee?" Kise asked, hanging his keys on a peg by the door. "Tea? I might have some juice or something..."

 

"Tea would be fine," Tetsuya said. He hadn't gotten a good look at Kise's place the last time he was there. Between his injuries and Kise confronting him, he could barely remember what the bedroom looked like. The place was nice, decorated like something out of a magazine. It had a small kitchen, a larger living space, and then one bedroom off the side of the living area. That's where the bathroom was as well, if Tetsuya remembered correctly. It was the kind of place he would have preferred to live, somewhere small and cozy. He envied Kise.

 

"So what are you going to do?" Kise asked, poking his head around the half wall that divided the living room and the kitchen. "Call her? That Aida woman? I hope she listens. It sounds like everything would be okay if she did."

 

Tetsuya hadn't thought about it, to be honest. He'd been so anxious after leaving the bar he hadn't considered the issue with Riko at all, but Kise had a point. He needed to call her at the very least, to get her away from Haizaki for long enough to talk her around to his side - though he doubted very much he'd be able to manage it. Why should Riko risk so much for his sake? Tetsuya felt selfish just thinking of asking her, but if Imayoshi and Akashi were believed, there was much more than Tetsuya and Kise's lives at stake.

 

"I'll call her," Tetsuya said. "Do you mind if I use your room?"

 

"Go ahead," Kise said. "I'll get some snacks! I think I have some cake in the fridge the director gave me last time..." He disappeared again into the kitchen, and Tetsuya took that as his cue.

 

The bedroom was plainer than the rest of the apartment, looking more like a dormitory than a bedroom. It lacked the distinct picturesque design of the rest of the apartment. Tetsuya assume Kise's manager had taken care of all that. Despite the room's utilitarian design, the bed was large and soft, a nest of various mismatched blankets and pillows. And above all else, the room smelled strongly of Kise, the concentrated scent wrapping around Tetsuya and immersing him in comfort.

 

He sat on the edge and called Riko, his heart beating too fast. She picked up before the first ring ended.

 

"Kuroko-kun? Is everything all right?"

 

"Fine," Tetsuya lied. When Riko said nothing, he added: "I apologize for calling this late. I'm sure you're busy, but I have something I need to give you. It's important. Would you mind meeting me?"

 

Riko's silence stretched the few seconds into an eternity. Then, "I can't make it tonight. Tomorrow afternoon? We could go to the initiation together." Her voice was carefully void of emotion.

 

"That's fine," he said. "Around three? Ah, but I won't be home. I'll text you the address."

 

"All right." Silence again. Tetsuya considered just ending the call, but Riko spoke again: "How have you been?"

 

It wasn't like her to make small talk... "I've been well." Another lie. "How have you been?"

 

"Good," she said. Silence fell again, broken only by a deep sigh from Riko's end of the line.

 

"I have to go, Riko-san." Tetsuya wasn't sure what the awkward tension between them was, but he wanted away from it. "Have a good evening."

 

"You too, Kuroko-kun. Take care of yourself."

 

Kise was already sitting on the couch when Tetsuya returned to the living room, a tray with tea and two slices of a light green cake sitting on the low table in front of it. "How'd it go?"

 

"Fine," Tetsuya said, sitting down next to him. "She'll be here tomorrow around three. We'll talk and then go to the initiation together." Another worry to keep him up. Tetsuya couldn't imagine being able to sleep, not with everything whirling around in his head. He took a sip of his tea, trying to relax himself. Fretting wouldn't do him any good, nor would it ease Kise's mind.

 

"You know, I really don't get it. Why does that Haizaki guy even know who you are? You said you're basically invisible to the rest of your clan, right? If he's the big boss, shouldn't you be even more invisible to him?" Kise tapped his fork against the top of his cake as he spoke, leaving tiny indentations in the frosting. "Did you know him or something?"

 

"Haizaki-san and I have a complicated history." Tetsuya tried not to think about it most of the time. "We're the same age. We grew up together. The children in our clan are grouped together from an early age to foster a sense of community, I suppose. Haizaki-san was always the biggest of us, and he tended to get away with whatever he wanted. That kind of power was always encouraged, even at the expense of weaker children." It was a pain Tetsuya knew well.

 

"So he was bully? I can't say that's a surprise..." Kise scowled, though the effect was lost when he took a huge bite of his cake that puffed out his cheeks.

 

Tetsuya smiled. "Bully is one word for it. Haizaki-san was considered a natural leader. The two words mean much the same in our clan. But as a child, I was unfortunately... I'm not sure how to say it. We clashed a lot, Haizaki-san and I. I didn't like the way he treated people. But he was so much larger than I was, so our spats usually ended with me bloodied and embarrassed."

 

"It's not hard to imagine," Kise said, grinning. "You do seem like the kind of guy who takes on people twice his size."

 

Well, he wasn't wrong. "Unfortunately, that had the effect of making Haizaki-san hate me much more than he would have if I'd been weak and small and quiet. We lost touch as he grew older and our age group split up based on physical abilities. I was the bottom of the group, so there was no reason for us to cross paths. I didn't realize how much of an impact I'd made until Nijimura-san's initiation. I was eighteen and preparing to go to university the following fall. One of Nijimura's first acts as alpha was to bestow the gifts left behind by his predecessor. One was the apartment I live in now."

 

"So?" Kise polished off the rest of his cake and looked longingly at Tetsuya's. Tetsuya slid it across the table to him.

 

"So Haizaki-san decided to take exception to that. He didn't understand why someone as useless as I was should get anything. He invoked one of the old laws to challenge me to a battle to the death to see who would get the property. I would have happily given it to him at that point, but once he'd declared it, I was obligated to see it through."

 

"Over an apartment?" Kise asked, thrown.

 

"The apartment was probably an excuse," Tetsuya said. "I can't say I understand it all myself. But the old laws are... Well, there are so many of them. I don't know them all, just the ones still common today. But Nijimura-san, as the alpha, made it his business to know them all. He invoked one in response to Haizaki's challenge that allowed him as the alpha to fight Haizaki in my stead. He--I shouldn't have to tell you that Nijimura-san won easily. And he didn't kill Haizaki-san. He let him live and called it mercy, which shamed Haizaki in the clan. His standing dropped. And possibly the most devastating thing of all was that there was no chance of Nijimura naming Haizaki as his successor after that." Tetsuya couldn't even pretend to smile. That awful day was deeply ingrained in his memory; he could still see it all perfectly, every last detail right down to the devastation on Haizaki's blood splattered face when Nijimura declared himself the winner and demanded someone get Haizaki out of his sight.

 

"He blamed you," Kise breathed, his eyes wide. "All of this is because he blamed you?"

 

Tetsuya nodded grimly. "Even after Nijimura died, no one could forget. Normally, Haizaki-san would have been pushed to the front of the clan within the week. But Nijimura-san died three months ago. That it took this long means everyone is still thinking about it."

 

Kise let out a long breath and sat back on the couch, the cake and tea forgotten. He ran a hand through his hair and barked a humorless laugh. "What a mess," he said. "What a goddamn mess."

 

That was one way of putting it.

 

After that, a heaviness settled over the apartment. Kise turned on the television, but nothing caught their attention, not even the basketball game. Tetsuya imagined Aomine was probably watching it as well, tried to cheer himself up remembering how worked up Aomine got watching a game, how he'd jump to his feet and holler at the players like he was standing on the court with him. But the usual spark of humor refused to flare, and midnight found them both sitting in the dark, dismal expressions lit by the faint glow of the television.

 

Kise broke the tension by stretching and yawning loudly, his back cracking as he arched like a cat. "This is dumb," he said, looking over at Tetsuya. "We could die tomorrow! No," he reached out and grabbed Tetsuya's chin when he tried to look away, "we really could. I don't want to think I spent my last night moping in front of the television."

 

"Then what do you expect us to do?" Tetsuya said wearily. He wanted to sleep, but the nervous energy thrumming through him made that impossible. He wanted so many things, but above all else, he wanted this all to be over.

 

Kise didn't answer him. Instead, he slid closer, closing the space between them on the sofa, and kissed Tetsuya, molding their mouths together.

 

Tetsuya's eyes fluttered shut. He closed off the part of himself that wanted to protest, to wait. He didn't _want_ to wait. Kise felt good like this, pressed close and sliding his tongue across Tetsuya's lips, into his mouth. Tetsuya didn't want to think about anything. He just wanted to feel.

 

"We should go to your room," he murmured between kisses. He ran his hands up and down Kise's arms. "I don't want to do this on your couch."

 

Kise actually shuddered. Then he scrambled off the couch and tugged Tetsuya after him to the bedroom, kicking the door closed behind them.

 

They fell onto the bed, tugging at each others clothes. Tetsuya felt overwhelmed with the desire to see Kise bared, to touch every last part of him and leave his scent behind as a warning. He mouthed along the slender slope of Kise's neck, sucking a mark into his skin.

 

"That feels nice," Kise sighed. He stretched away from Tetsuya just long enough to pull off his shirt and kick his jeans and underwear off. He paused, glancing at Tetsuya. "What are you waiting for?"

 

Tetsuya felt himself go pink as he scrambled to catch up, striping himself as quickly as he could. Nothing sounded better than feeling his body pressed against Kise's, feeling his pulse beating against Tetsuya's own skin. "Come here," Tetsuya demanded, and Kise came to him without hesitation. Tetsuya laid at the head of the bed, and Kise crawled up his body, pressing a kiss to Tetsuya's jaw as he snaked a hand between them to stroke Tetsuya's cock.

 

"You've been so tense," Kise murmured, kissing the words into his skin. "I'll take care of you this time, all right? Just leave it to me."

 

Tetsuya shuddered, melting into the bed. He couldn't argue with that voice, didn't even _want_ to. He watched Kise mouth his way down his chest and stomach, then turn his full attention to Tetsuya's cock, mouthing at the hard length of it with a surprising enthusiasm. "Kurokocchi tastes good," he said. Tetsuya's cock twitched in his hand. "Do you want to come in my mouth?" Kise licked a stripe from the base to the head of his cock. "On my face? Or maybe," he moved back up Tetsuya's body, all lithe and graceful and the stuff of fantasies, and straddled Tetsuya's hips, grinding down, " _in_ me?"

 

Tetsuya could hardly breathe. He wanted it all, everything Kise was willing to give, but he didn't know where to start. He'd never been with anyone before, too stuck in isolation from both his clan and humankind to appreciate a body other than his own. His hands, though, knew what he wanted, gripped Kise's hips with bruising strength. "In you," he said, swallowing audibly. "Kise-kun, I want--"

 

Kise kissed him quiet. "Don't you think you should call me Ryouta?"

 

"Ryouta," Tetsuya echoed. He would have said anything at that point. Kise's ass was warm against him and so tempting. Tetsuya's hands slid down to give it a squeeze.

 

"Tetsuya," Kise returned. He reached underneath the pillows Tetsuya was resting on and returned with a bottle of lube. He braced himself on his knees on either side of Tetsuya's hips and made quick work of slicking himself up. Tetsuya's followed Kise's hand and the movement of his arm, hungry with the knowledge that Kise was fucking himself with his own fingers, making room for Tetsuya inside himself.

 

When Kise finally sank down on him, one hand braced on Tetsuya's chest and the other holding his cock steady, and asked if he was feeling relaxed yet, all Tetsuya could do was stare up at him helplessly and say, "Ryouta," like it was the only word he knew.

 

"You feel good," Kise groaned, his head lolling back as he rode Tetsuya hard, slamming his hips down, going deeper and deeper. "Ah, ah, _Tetsuya_ \--"

 

Tetsuya grabbed Kise's cock and felt Kise's rhythm stutter, his body tremble as Tetsuya squeezed him. It was gratifying to have control, if only for a moment. He twisted the head a bit and watched Kise's eyes squeeze shut.

 

"I'm going to come," Kise said in rush, "if you keep doing that, if you keep touching me--"

 

Tetsuya didn't stop. "Then come," he said, his own voice strained, trying not to let go before Kise did. Kise, who was taking such good care of him, who felt so perfect, so hot and tight around him--

 

Kise bent in half with a loud keen, his hips grinding back against Tetsuya's groin and his ass spasming around Tetsuya's dick. Tetsuya couldn't last after that, shooting off seconds behind Kise.

 

Kise collapsed on top of him, panting into the crook of his neck. "Tetsuya," he sighed.

 

Tetsuya's body went liquid, humming with pleasure. He'd never felt so good in his life, so relaxed.

 

Sleep, it seemed, was not so far after all.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the support! this is a baby chapter but tomorrow is a big one. lots of important stuff happening!

Ryouta woke up to a perfect morning: Kuroko in his bed, stealing all the blankets, and drooling on his pillow. Despite the cool air of the room, Ryouta felt warm and contented, burrowing under the nest Kuroko had created for himself and watching him sleep. 

The only thing tainting the moment was the knowledge that it was going to end. Kuroko's friend - acquaintance? - would eventually show up and take him away to a world Ryouta could only glimpse at through stories. Kuroko's world was a violent and unpredictable place, and no amount of wishing this bubble of time would extend on forever could change the truth. Morning had come; the rest would soon follow.

"You're staring," Kuroko accused, one bleary eye opening. He lifted his head from the mess of blankets, his hair standing on end. Ryouta laughed and reached out to touch it, laughing harder when it immediately sprang back up no matter what he did.

"I was." He didn't bother trying to hide it. Who could blame them? Kuroko was something else, attractive and well-mannered and so unique... Who wouldn't want to stare? "Sleep well?"

Something closed off in Kuroko's eyes. But he smiled anyway, a small barely there curve of his lips, and inclined his head. "Yes. Thank you for asking," he said, so formal Ryouta almost flinched. Whatever well of emotion had broken open last night, it was dry now, and Kuroko's poker face was firmly in place. Some distant part of Ryouta recognized it as Kuroko's way to cope with everything that happened, but it still pained him to see. He wanted to hold Kuroko's face in his hands and demand that he look at him, really look at him, wanted to say _can't you at least be honest with me?_

But he didn't do any of those things. "I guess we should get up," he said instead, sitting up and stretching his arms over his head. "I don't know what I have for breakfast... I could cook something though. Hungry?"

"If it's not too much trouble." Kuroko followed the movement of Ryouta's body with his eyes, a spark of the heat Ryouta had seen the night before flaring. It made him want to preen, to pull Kuroko back into bed and roll on top of him. It made Ryouta _want_.

But there was too much to be done to give into selfishness. "Of course it's not too much trouble," he scoffed. "Coffee or tea?"

"Coffee," Kuroko said. "I think I'll need it."

Ryouta certainly did. He wouldn't mind it with a shot of something extra either. "All right, I'll go ahead. If you'd like to shower, you know where the bathroom is." He climbed out of bed and grabbed clothes from his dresser, pulling them on.

"Thank you, Kise-kun." Kuroko's voice was painfully honest, thanking him for far more than an offer to make breakfast. Ryouta couldn't look back at him, pausing briefly in the doorway to hum an acknowledgment.

He made a western breakfast on autopilot, listening to the sound of the shower turning on. They still had time. They could forget all of that foolishness about uprisings and initiations and just run, go as far away as they could get. Ryouta wouldn't regret it, not if it meant he could keep Kuroko safe and with him for as long as they both lived. He drew up a mental list of the pros and cons as though he was going to present it to Kuroko, but the moment he walked out of the bedroom in yesterday's clothes, drying his hair with a towel, Ryouta gave up on the idea. He knew Kuroko wouldn't leave, not when the possibility of saving his clan from its downward spiral hinged on his cooperation. If Kuroko was the type of guy to abandon his family, Ryouta doubted he would have liked him so much. 

Ryouta doubted 'like' was a strong enough word anymore.

"It smells good," Kuroko said, sitting down at the table where Ryouta already set a place for him, complete with a steaming mug of black coffee.

"Want some cream? Sugar?" 

"Just cream."

They spent the morning avoiding speaking about Riko's upcoming visit or the initiation. Ryouta couldn't bring himself to talk about it no matter how much he wanted to. Wasn't it selfish, expecting Kuroko to reassure him at every turn? Ryouta wanted to be the one reassuring Kuroko, to be the one Kuroko relied on, but it was _so difficult_. Ryouta didn't know the first thing about what was going on. What could he possibly have to offer that Kuroko couldn't provide for himself?

Shortly before three in the afternoon, a knock sounded on the front door.

They were camped on the sofa, sitting pressed against each other as Kuroko flipped mindlessly through the television channels. He left Ryouta on the couch, signaling for him to stay seated. He lifted his nose and sniffed, then nodded. "It's Riko-san," Kuroko confirmed.

Ryouta didn't move when Kuroko went to open the door, barely listening to the greetings they gave each other. It took him a moment to pull himself together, to remind himself that this wasn't about him. He wanted to support Kuroko, didn't he? This was his chance.

When Kuroko led her into the apartment, Ryouta stood up. "Nice to meet you, Riko-san," he said. 

Riko looked him up and down, then cast a grouchy glance at Kuroko. "You like causing yourself problems, don't you?"

"I don't know what you mean," Kuroko said. "Please, sit. We have a lot to discuss."

Riko sat on the love seat adjacent to the sofa, looking warily between. "You said you had something to give me."

"I'm sorry. I lied."

"Why am I not surprised?" Riko sounded exasperated rather than angry, and hope sparked within Ryouta. "So what's this about?"

"Riko-san," Kuroko began, "I'd like your assistance."

"With?"

"Staging a coup against Haizaki-san," Kuroko said. When Riko's mouth dropped open and she made no move to speak, he continued: "I was approached by the alphas of both the feline and snake clans. They're willing to provide assistance--"

"At what cost?" Riko demanded. "Kuroko-kun, do you realize what you're asking?"

"I'm asking you to help me save our clan." Kuroko didn't flinch at her outburst. "We've been fading for some time. Our insistence on sticking with outdated traditions, our scorns for other clans and humans... If Haizaki-san leads us, everything will get worse. There won't be a place for us in Tokyo anymore."

"And how do you expect this to work?" Riko slumped in her seat, shoving her bangs out of her eyes. "You must have a lot of faith in me if you think I can beat that guy."

"I don't need you to beat him," Kuroko said. "I just need you to divide the clan. Have enough supporters to set the spark, so to speak. Our allies with help us with the rest."

"This is a lot to take in..." Riko looked at Ryouta, then back to Kuroko. "Mind if we speak privately?"

"Use my room," Ryouta said. "I'll make some tea!" It was at least _something_ to do. He couldn't follow a thing they were talking about. As useless as he felt, Ryouta didn't mind a few moments alone. "Ah," he realized, "I forgot to ask her what she wanted..."

He went to his bedroom door and raise his hand to knock when Kuroko's voice drifted through the wood of the door, faint but audible: "...these are their numbers. They're expecting a call from you if anything goes wrong."

"You mean if Haizaki kills you?"

Ryouta's mouth went dry. He didn't want to hear any more, but he couldn't move.

"Yes," Kuroko said. "And while we're on the subject, I have a request."

"What's that?"

"If Haizaki-san kills me tonight, please see that Kise-kun gets safely out of Tokyo. Imayoshi-san will be willing to assist you."

Ryouta stumbled back a step, staring wide-eyed at the door. If Kuroko died? He'd known violence was a possibility at the initiation, but Kuroko hadn't said anything about it being that dangerous. Would Haizaki really try to kill him there? Wasn't the entire clan supposed to attend?

He walked back into the kitchen in a daze, resting his hands on the counter. The water was boiling, but all he could do was reach over to flip the switch off, his mind buzzing and his body heavy with numb disbelief.

Kuroko might die. Kuroko might walk out the door and never come back. Ryouta's heart pounded faster and faster, and he closed his eyes, forced himself to breathe in and out, slowly, deeply. He had to have faith. That's all there was to it.

He didn't know how long he stood there before Kuroko came to find him. He didn't even realize he was crying. "Do you really think you'll die tonight?"

Kuroko pursed his lips. "You overheard."

"On accident." Ryouta wiped at his eyes, trying to smile. "I just--I didn't think that. I didn't think today might be it."

"Kise-kun," Kuroko began. Then, "No, Ryouta-kun. I can't promise you I won't die. You know that's not how it works. But I promise you'll be safe, regardless of what happens tonight."

Ryouta wanted to laugh. "Being safe without you is meaningless."

Kuroko leaned his forehead against Ryouta's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said. "I can't give you any more than that. But I'll do everything in my power to come back."

And that, Ryouta supposed, was that.

~

Their goodbye was a quiet one. Kuroko and Riko left, as casual as if they were just running down to the grocery store. Kuroko kissed him when Riko's back was turned and then vanished through the open door before Ryouta could open his eyes.

Gone. Kuroko was gone.

The worst part was the waiting. He'd only been gone half an hour, and already Ryouta was losing his mind, panicked over everything that could go wrong. What if it was a trap? What if Riko was on Haizaki's side? What if someone was waiting outside for them--

"Shut up," Ryouta ordered himself. He wasn't doing himself any favors. Kuroko wouldn't want him to be so miserable. He'd want him to enjoy himself no matter what. But nothing Ryouta did relaxed him. Nothing on television caught his attention. He was so on edge that just sitting down made his skin crawl.

An hour after Kuroko's departure, someone knocked on the door.

Ryouta jumped up and bounded over to the door before freezing with his hand outstretched. What if it wasn't Kuroko? What if one of the shifters had found out where Kise lived and was coming to finish him off? Swallowing, he looked through the peep hole and saw green hair. Ryouta opened the door.

"Midorimacchi?" He stared dumbly at his old friend. "What are you doing here?"

Midorima adjusted his glasses, then held up a bag. "Isn't it obvious? I was in the area. I had a few supplies I thought might be useful to you." He frowned. "Unless... Kise, you didn't kill the dog, did you?" He looked actually concerned.

Ryouta's vision blurred. Kill the dog? He might have. He just might have. Shoving a hand over his eyes, he let out a choked sob. Midorima began spluttering panicked sounds, unable to decide how to handle the situation, but all Ryouta could think as tears streamed down his face was that he was stupidly grateful not to be alone.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: some human form on shifter form violence, as well as shifter form on shifter form violence. so. be aware of that.
> 
> thanks for the support! things start going downhill from here on out... and also someone asked a question about the number of chapters. this fic will definitely be 20 chapters still but for some reason when i update a new chapter ao3 defaults to the undetermined chapter number (aka the ?). and sometimes i forget to go back in and fix it... but rest assured, 20 is the number. i have a very tight outline.

The mingling of scents pouring down from the shrine made Tetsuya's eyes water. He hated clan gatherings; with so many of them gathered in such a small area, his senses were always overwhelmed. He didn't have to ability to block things out like some of his clansmen did. Next to him, Riko appeared completely unaffected, climbing the stairs with ease. Tetsuya was winded, his stamina drained already from a combination of stress and the long upward walk there.

"You should speak as little as possible," Riko advised him under her breath. "Don't stand next to me either. If things go south--"

"You can't help me," Tetsuya finished. It was a point they both agreed on. Senseless acts of bravery would only result in two deaths that night. Riko would be useless dead. Better that she lived to see things through than that she let her emotions cloud her judgment and try to save him.

They parted ways at the top of the stairs, Riko going left and Tetsuya to the right. He tried to be invisible, to blend in with the crowd and stay toward the back. He didn't want to see Haizaki initiated, didn't want to so much as smell him. Being shoved into the courtyard of the shrine with three hundred canine shifters was bad enough.

And perhaps, if Haizaki didn't _see_ him, he wouldn't try anything.

It was more than likely wishful thinking, but Tetsuya was out of options. Anything that gave him hope was fair game at that point.

He remembered Nijimura's initiation. It was a happy occasion for the entire clan, coming together under an alpha that was unanimously supported. Not even the headache of having his senses overloaded dampened Tetsuya's enthusiasm, but that same feeling was absent in the present. Tetsuya saw few joyous expressions, caught more than a handful of scents edged with anxiety, with anger, with pure terror. A kind of pressure beat down on him from all sides, a cacophony of emotions all echoing a single sentiment: _something here isn't right_.

As terrible as it seemed, the ambivalence in his clansmen gave him hope. Surely Riko wouldn't have trouble turning the attention of a group already so split? And if he did die that night, perhaps it would give them a nudge in the right direction.

No, he reminded himself. He didn't want to die. Not for politics or any other reason. Kise's crying face floated to the front of his mind, the sound of his voice while he asked for a promise Tetsuya couldn't give no matter how much he wanted. No, Tetsuya wouldn't allow himself to die, even if he only had the slimmest chance for survival. He just couldn't.

The crowd went silent. Tetsuya could feel the shift in the atmosphere, in his clansmen's reverent quiet and knew Haizaki had arrived. He crept around the edge of the crowd, gravitating toward the front. He could just make out the top of Haizaki's head, dark grey ears standing tall, but it was the rumbling growl that froze Tetsuya in place.

Haizaki, like Nijimura, was a Grey Wolf, large and powerful and meant to lead. His shifted form was imposing enough that challenges were few and far between. The sight of him was enough to make Tetsuya want to shift and show his belly. It was moments like that when Tetsuya was thankful for his human side, for the ability to turn away from his instincts. And as such a small domestic dog, his instincts were absolutely screaming.

The wolf padded across the stone ground to the center of the shrine's courtyard, stopping in front of a ceremonial pyre, a large wrought iron contraption shaped like a small beacon. Nijimura's mother stood to the side, waiting until Haizaki inclined his long snout at her, huffing, before lighting the pyre. The flames engulfed the small pile of wood cut from the shrine's trees within seconds, burning brightly and sending smoke spiraling up. Ashes blew in the light breeze into gathered crowd; Tetsuya flinched when hot ashes brushed by his face.

Haizaki let a long howl, then began to shift. His body contorted, the dark fur receding into tanned skin patterned with scars and ink. He stood nude before the crowd, staring out at them with narrowed eyes. Tetsuya looked away, struck with the sudden sensation of being singled out.

Nijimura's mother stepped forward, taking the robe laid over her shoulder and draping it over Haizaki's shoulders. From her other shoulder she pulled a thick silvery rope, securing it around Haizaki's waist to hold the robe closed.

Tetsuya focused on her face, trying to catch even the slightest change in expression, but everything was blank. Even her eyes, the same clear and cold and piercing blue her son had, were flat, lifeless. Tetsuya wondered how much pain she felt, being forced to step into her son's place to initiate a new alpha.

When she'd finished and Haizaki was clothed in the traditional way, she walked into the crowd, melting into the group. Haizaki was left alone at the front, watching his clan.

A few moments passed. Then the clan raised their voices as one, howling into the early night a greeting to their new alpha. The weight of the sound crushed in on Tetsuya, even as he howled with the rest. It was gratifying to hear the hesitation before the silence broke, to note the way the sound wasn't in unison or as smooth as it was during Nijimura's initiation. It was another ray of hope, just enough to keep Tetsuya standing and his knees from shaking.

Haizaki's hair was unbraided, looking strange as it hung limp and dark around his head. His grin was cruel, all sharp teeth and the promise of blood and violence. His gaze traveled from one end of the crowd to the other, stopping briefly on Tetsuya before moving on. Tetsuya felt that pause like a blade in his gut.

"Things are going to change," Haizaki said, his voice like the crack of a whip in the still quiet of the night. Tetsuya forced himself to watch, to absorb every word. "We've been living in the past, haven't we? And what's it gotten us? Betrayed by our allies, run off our territories." A murmur rose from the crowd. "We've been fucked by our own ideals," Haizaki said. "Tolerance isn't going to bring us back to glory."

Tetsuya fought against the desire to find Riko in the crowd, keeping his eyes on Haizaki. Tolerance? Could what they have now be called tolerance? Tetsuya didn't buy it, not for a single second, but there was a general air of agreement rippling through the clan. Sweat built on Tetsuya's palms, and no amount of wiping them on the rough material of his jeans seemed to help.

"We're going to see blood," Haizaki continued, "because that's the only change we can make." No, Tetsuya wanted to say. _Haizaki is wrong!_ But words would only kill him quicker. The clan began to crowd forward, to get closer to Haizaki. Tetsuya was pulled along, his feet carrying him nearer. "The other clans, those cat bastards, the snakes... They'll get what's coming to them. But we have a plague on our hands, don't we?" Haizaki was laughing now, a sound the clan echoed. Tetsuya's blood ran cold in his veins as the collective scent tinged red, the thirst for violence seeping in. "The humans have taken more from us than I can count, and they won't even acknowledge that we're here. I think it's time we change that."

Haizaki raised a hand, and the clan fell silent. Then he pointed, his clawed finger following his eyes straight to Tetsuya. "Come on," he called. "It's time to pay what you owe." The cluster of people surrounding Tetsuya fell away, leaving nothing between him and Haizaki. 

The scene was identical to Nijimura's initiation. But there was no scandaled outrage to follow Haizaki's declaration, no cushioning of societal mores, and certainly no Nijimura to step in front of Tetsuya and save the day. There was only perhaps two meters between Tetsuya and his death, and already his feet had begun to close the distance.

Would it hurt? Haizaki would do his best to see that it would. How long would it take? Tetsuya clenched his fists at his side and tried to will his heart to slow, but the thundering against his breastbone only quickened. Wouldn't it be something, he thought, if he dropped dead right there of fright?

"It's been a long time," Haizaki said. He held out a hand. "Give me your keys."

"My... keys?" Tetsuya echoed. 

"You've been living on clan property without doing a damn thing for it." Haizaki was smiling, but his eyes were cold and filled with a malevolent glee. "You'll return it, and then you'll leave."

Tetsuya felt numb all over. Whatever fear he'd felt before was gone, drained along with his entire capacity for emotion. Leave? Leave _where_? Wasn't Haizaki planning to kill him? He handed the keys over. 

"Kuroko Tetsuya," Haizaki began, the clan leaning forward as his tone took on an official air, "you're hereby exile from the clan. Never set foot on clan property again, and never breathe a word of what you know."

Tetsuya just stared. Leave, Haizaki had said. He'd meant for Tetsuya to leave the clan. For good. "I--don't understand," he tried, but Haizaki wasn't finished.

"It's what you deserve for breaking so many of our sacred laws," as though Haizaki had any regard for those laws outside of instances where they benefited him, "and especially for violating our decree against inter-species relations. You reek of human, even now."

The murmur that rose in the crowd this time was not one of simple agreement but of anger, of betrayal. Tetsuya didn't need to turn around to see that in the eyes of his clansmen he was already an outsider. 

Then Haizaki's eyes flashed. "Shift," he ordered, the barest hint of a growl in his voice. Tetsuya had no choice but to comply, his canine side reacting without hesitation to the voice of its alpha. His vision warped and bled free of color until he was standing in a pile of his clothes, staring up at Haizaki.

"Kuroko Tetsuya is no longer under canine protection." Haizaki's voice carried well past the gathered clansmen, echoing on down toward the city. "So you know what that means? He's _free game_. Whatever punishment you think he deserves, no one will stand in your way. But," he cut through the sudden clamor of voices, "we're a merciful group, aren't we? So here it is." Haizaki crouched down. "I'll give you a head start, Tetsuya. Five minutes." Tetsuya could have cut himself on that smile.

Five minutes wasn't much time at all, especially as small as he was. Haizaki could cover the same distance in under minute. Tetsuya scampered off, but Haizaki was faster. He'd just managed to reach the stairs when Haizaki's foot connected with his side. Tetsuya let out a pained yelp and went crashing down the long staircase toward the road, Haizaki's words echoing off into the distance: "I'll see you soon, Tetsuya!"

Tetsuya rolled, his body crashing down to the first landing and then the second before rolling to a stop. Pain radiated through his side, and he knew he needed to shift back to heal but there just wasn't time. He scrambled up and shot off down the last two sets of stairs, hitting the road and running without a pause.

There was no guarantee of five minutes. He couldn't spare the energy to extend his senses, so he wouldn't know if Haizaki or any of the others were giving chase. Tetsuya could only pray they had at least that much mercy in their hearts.

He stumbled into an alley, his belly hitting the ground. He felt like he couldn't breathe, his panting so loud he couldn't even hear the cars passing by. He needed to shift, needed to do it _fast_ , but the thought of being caught vulnerable and naked in the open chilled him to the core. He already knew someone was watching, didn't need his senses to confirm it. What happened in the initiation was unexpected, but in the end, it was all part of whatever game Haizaki was playing. Tetsuya had no choice but to answer as best as he could.

Struggling back to his feet, he tried to figure out where he was and where he could get safe long enough to heal, if only for a few minutes. But the pain made it difficult to focus. He started back onto the street, but teeth clamped down on his tail, dragging him back.

He was right. Someone was watching - and they'd probably been with him all along.

The dog was some kind of mutt, large and imposing in the same way as Haizaki, and the familiarity of their scents suggested they were frequent companions. The dog bore down on Tetsuya, a steady rumbling of a growl suddenly all Tetsuya could hear. He didn't realize he'd stopped breathing until his body rebelled, his lungs sucking in as much air as it could. He wheezed, and the dog pressed a large paw against his back, pinning him in place. Its teeth grazed the back of Tetsuya's neck. 

_I'm going to die_. The thought hit Tetsuya all at once, bringing with it a startling quiet to Tetsuya's mind. Panic cease. _I'm going to die_.

The teeth pressed in, more pressure than pain, but it was only a matter of time.

A second thought: _I don't want to die_.

It was odd, how powerful that felt. Tetsuya felt his body calm, his heart slow. For a very brief moment, he felt completely at peace, certain that everything would be all right.

His body reacted for him. Tetsuya abruptly shifted, his form expanding rapidly and throwing the dog off. The other shifter let out a surprised yelp as Tetsuya stood quickly, but then he shifted again, limbs shrinking. It wasn't nearly long enough to even start the healing process, but it bought him enough time to get out of the alley and back into the road, disappearing into the sea of legs, humans walking every which way and paying very little mind to what happened around their feet. The other shifter was far too large to run on the sidewalk, and it was the same for most of Haizaki's closest companions. Size meant power, yes, but it also meant forsaking discretion. 

He could feel moisture on his back and knew it was blood. The shrine that served as the canine clan's base was far from Kise's apartment, at least a twenty minute ride by train. He could hardly board a train as he was, and walking the entire way was impossible in his condition. If his injuries didn't incapacitate him, either Haizaki or another shifter would.

No matter what it took, he had to return. He had to get back to Kise. Even in his animal brain, with his emotions simplified, the desire to see Kise once more was startlingly powerful.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the support! i can't believe this fic is over half done now... amazing...

Ryouta woke up with eyes swollen from crying and could hear Midorima moving around in the living room. He didn't need to look at a clock to know Kuroko had been gone for entirely too long. 

A tinny voice startled Ryouta, almost sending him careening off the side of the bed, but it was just the morning Oha-Asa. "...a pink tea cup," was all he could hear before the voice stopped. 

"I have one of those," he called out, still not getting out of bed. "It's in the cabinet over the sink."

"...Thanks." Midorima's voice was rough first thing in the morning. Ryouta wanted to poke fun at him, but he couldn't move. He felt like someone was sitting on his chest, crushing the air out of him. If he got up and saw the time, saw the sun was up, wouldn't it mean the thing he feared the most? Kuroko wasn't coming back.

After a few more minutes, Midorima knocked on the door. Ryouta didn't say anything, too caught up in staring blankly at the ceiling, so Midorima opened the door, stepping inside and frowning. He held the dainty tea cup in his hand. "It's good that you had one already," he said. "It's your lucky item. You're clearly going to need it."

"It's not your item?"

Midorima shook his head. "My lucky item is a charm from a nearby shrine. I fortunately already have one." He pulled it out of his pocket and showed it off. "But Gemini is in last place today, Kise," he said gravely. "Don't go anywhere without this." When Ryouta didn't move to take the cup, Midorima sat it on his chest.

How ridiculous. They both stared at each other for a long moment before Ryouta finally cracked a smile. He took the cup in hand and sat up. "Thanks, Midorimacchi," he said. "You didn't have to stay the night."

Midorima adjusted his glasses, his eyes cutting to the side. "Don't thank me. I didn't want you drowning in your own tears and dying on my conscience."

"You really do care," Ryouta cooed, stifling a grin at the way Midorima's face burned red.

"Shut up! I have things to do today! I'm leaving!" He stomped out of the room, but he didn't go to the door. He disappeared behind the dividing wall and into the kitchen. Ryouta could hear him messing around with dishes and assumed he was making tea. 

"I need to get up," he told himself. Saying the words aloud helped, giving him enough of a mental boost to get out of bed, to stand on his own two feet. He didn't know for sure what was happening. Ruminating on what ifs wasn't going to help him, and it certainly wasn't going to change how things turned out. Ryouta knew he needed to accept the possibility of Kuroko not coming back, needed to accept that Kuroko believed his actions were for the greater good, but the thought still pained him. Ryouta didn't want to be alone. He'd never met anyone like Kuroko before, anyone who ensnared his heart and mind so quickly. He doubted he ever would again.

Midorima was, indeed, making tea. He handed Ryouta a cup when he walked into the kitchen, staring him down until Ryouta finally sipped at it. "I don't know what's wrong with you," Midorima began, "and I obviously don't care. However, it's unhealthy to mope about. Whatever you're working yourself up about, I suggest you stop. Stress can have an adverse reaction on your health."

"You never change, Midorimacchi..."

"Neither do you." Midorima leveled him with a look that threw Ryouta back to middle school when they'd been forced to work in the student government. "I have to leave soon for my eleven o'clock class. Weren't you supposed to have a class this morning as well?"

Technically, yes. But Ryouta hadn't been to _any_ classes for several days, and he couldn't find it in himself to panic. Being almost murdered by shape changing dog people really put things into perspective. "I'll be fine," he reassured Midorima. "Go to class. You worry too much!"

"I already said I wasn't concerned," Midorima snapped, but his words meant very little when he made a point of storming back into Ryouta's bedroom and retrieving the pink tea cup. "And what did I say about keeping this with you?" He shoved it at Ryouta before gathering his things together, muttering under his breath. "I'm leaving!"

"You've said that like three times," Ryouta pointed out, enjoying the flustered look on Midorima's face. "Are you sure you're leaving?"

Midorima didn't reply. He opened the door and slammed it behind him, leaving a laughing Ryouta behind. But his laughter quickly faded as the realization that he was once again alone closed in on him. Midorima was a welcome distraction from the dark of his thoughts, and without his presence, Ryouta felt his mood slip. He considered calling his agent about new work, but she'd already assured him it would be another few weeks after the last several months of non-stop shoots. He'd looked forward to the break at the time, but as the future stretched forward in front of him, empty and colorless, Ryouta wished for something to do - _anything_. The less time he had to think, the better.

A knock sounded on the door. Ryouta's heart jumped into his throat as he rushed to open it, but Kuroko wasn't on the other side. "Midorimacchi?" 

Midorima's lips were pursed. He looked entirely too annoyed. "There are wild dogs all over the courtyard of your building," he said. "I'm surprised you'd live in a place with such shoddy security."

Dogs? Ryouta grabbed Midorima's wrist and jerked him into the apartment, slamming the door and locking it. That wasn't good. That was _not good at all_. He could feel his heart slamming against his breastbone. No Kuroko, and suddenly wild dogs were everywhere? It didn't take a genius to put the pieces together. Kuroko was dead, had to be, and Ryouta was next.

"Since when are you afraid of dogs?" Midorima watched him closely. "You're starting to hyperventilate. Come here, I'll get you some water."

Ryouta stumbled after him into the kitchen and sat down, ignoring the glass Midorima placed in front of him. "I'm not scared of dogs," he denied. And he wasn't. Ryouta loved dogs, but those things down there? Definitely not dogs. He still remembered the intelligence in the eyes of the dog who attacked him in the alley, the way he seemed to assess Ryouta before trying to strike. If Kuroko hadn't been there, who knows what would have happened?

"Drink the water anyway," Midorima said. "I'll be right back."

Ryouta sipped the water, trying to focus on the cold fluid in mouth rather than fear rushing through him, but he couldn't do it. His mind ran through a hundred horrifying scenarios in seconds flat, ranging from Kuroko being torn apart by other shifters to the dogs breaking down the door of his apartment and eating Ryouta and Midorima alive. He'd been afraid before when Kuroko was still by his side, but knowing he was alone made everything a thousand times worse.

"That should take care of that," Midorima announced when he walked back into the kitchen. At Ryouta's puzzled look, he clarified: "I called animal control, and when I explained the severity of the situation, they promised to dispatch someone to your building immediately. They said they would call when they arrive."

Ryouta jumped to his feet. "You did _what_?"

"That _is_ why animal control services exists," Midorima pointed out. "Wild dogs roaming the courtyard could easily become a dangerous situation."

"It already is a dangerous situation!" Ryouta couldn't keep the note of hysteria out of his voice. Midorima called animal control on a bunch of shape shifters? There were about a million different ways that could go wrong. What if the dogs killed the animal control workers? Ryouta couldn't handle that weighing on his conscience.

Midorima's frown deepened, his brow ticking downward. "You're acting more peculiar than usual, Kise."

Ryouta found himself in the undesirable position of desperately needing to tell Midorima the truth but knowing that both it was not his to share and that Midorima would _never_ believe him. He sank back down into his seat and buried his face in his arms on the table. "I want this day to end," he said.

"And I'd like to go to class. Clearly neither of us are getting our way any time soon."

Amazing. Even in the face of a crisis, Ryouta still found Midorima's prissy attitude amusing.

~

Whatever poor animal control personnel had the misfortunate of being dispatched to Ryouta's building called within the hour. Midorima did a lot 'hm' noises and said 'is that so' several times before hanging up.

"It seems the dogs fled when the truck parked." Midorima sounded puzzled. Ryouta didn't blame him. "Perhaps these dogs have escaped them before?"

It was ridiculous. It was _absolutely ridiculous_ that something as mundane as animal control services could save them from shape shifters. "Unbelievable," Ryouta laughed. He should have suggested that to Kuroko. 

He cringed as soon as he thought the name. It was too soon to think about him. A decade would still be too soon. Ryouta couldn't imagine the wound of losing Kuroko to ever feel less raw.

"In an case, they want us down there to sign something," Midorima continued. "So hurry up. I'd like to speak with my professor before his office hours end."

"You called them. You deal with it." 

Midorima wouldn't take no for an answer. He dragged Ryouta down to the courtyard despite his protests where a bored man in a dark blue uniform stood with a tablet. Midorima went to speak with him, and Ryouta followed at a more sedate pace, keeping his eyes on the surrounding areas. It occurred to him that running could have been a trap, that the shifters could be hiding to draw him out. If that was the case, it was probably too late to run.

When the bushes to the right of Midorima rustled, Ryouta went still. 

"Ah, looks like one is still around," the animal control guy said. "Looks like he's injured, too."

The dog that walked out of the bushes wasn't the wild animal Ryouta expected but instead was a familiar domestic dog with painfully familiar blue eyes.

"He's mine!" Ryouta shouted, breaking into a run to intercept before anyone else could so much as take a step toward Kuroko. Ryouta scooped him up into his arms, his eyes already watering at the sight of blood matting Kuroko's fur. 

"Kise--" Midorima began, but Ryouta didn't wait to hear him out. He turned and ran back to the building, practically sprinting up the stairs to the third level. Kuroko was whimpering and licking at Ryouta's wrist, trying to console one or both them. 

"You're hurt," Ryouta kept saying, "You're bleeding! What do I do, what am I supposed to--"

Midorima caught up with him while he was unlocking his door. "You idiot," he said. "That dog needs to see a veterinarian! Is he the same one--"

"Yeah, thanks, bye!" Ryouta opened the door and tried to slam it in Midorima's face, but Midorima was too fast. He pushed by Ryouta and into the apartment. 

"It's completely irresponsible to keep him here in that condition," he argued. "If you need help selecting a clinic--"

"Can't you just give him a look?" Ryouta begged. Midorima was already there! Taking Kuroko to a clinic could cause all kinds of trouble. If he couldn't get rid of Midorima, then he might as well put him to work.

"How many times do I have to tell you I know nothing about veterinary medicine!" Midorima snapped back.

Ryouta was about to tell him to just fuck right off in that case, but a sudden heavy weight in his arms bowled him over. It took him several moments to realize a few important things. First, Kuroko was human again. Second, he was very, _very_ naked. Third - and most important - Midorima was staring down at Ryouta where he was sprawled out on the floor with a very naked dog shifter in his lap.

"Well," Midorima said after a moment. He took off his glasses, cleaned them on his shirt, and replaced them on his face. " _Well_."

"I can explain," Ryouta tried.

Midorima pursed his lips. "I suppose I can treat him _now_."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the support! this chapter is much shorter than i intended bc my sinuses are making my head feel like its gonna explode.... ughuguhguhg

Consciousness returned slowly. Tetsuya's eyes felt too heavy to open, his lids resisting his brain's signal. They opened slowly, dragged up, and his vision went from darkness to a green blur.

"He's awake," an unfamiliar voice said. Tetsuya went stiff. Who had him? His mind frantically backtracked, but the last thing he recalled was running into Kise's arms.

"Kurokocchi!" The green blur disappeared in favor of familiar gold. Tetsuya relaxed.

"Kise-kun," he tried to say, but his mouth felt horribly dry and his throat even more so. The only noise that came out was a long croak. He swallowed and tried again.

"You made it," Kise said. He grabbed Tetsuya's hand and squeezed. "I was sure you'd--" He broke off. "Thanks for coming back." What an understated sentiment! But Tetsuya could feel the emotion behind the words, however casual they sounded.

"I'm home," he replied.

"This is all very touching," the first voice said, "but I think I should examine him before you assume anything."

Kise winced. Tetsuya's vision was clear now, so when he looked over he saw the man: green hair, glasses, an expression of pure disdain. "Who...?"

"Kurokocchi," Kise didn't let go of his hand, squeezing it tighter, "this is my friend from middle school, Midorima Shintarou. Midorimacchi, this Kurokocchi, my boyfriend." 

"Funny," Midorima said, "I thought he was your dog."

"Midorimacchi!" Kise shrieked. "Don't say that about him!"

"He's not technically wrong," Tetsuya murmured, though everything about the other man rubbed him wrong. Perhaps it was the pervasive numbness from the night before still affecting him, but he felt nothing at the realization that Midorima, a human, knew what he was. What did it matter anymore? Tetsuya wasn't bound by the laws of a clan. He could do anything.

He could also be killed by anyone.

Midorima adjusted his glasses and reached to the side. Tetsuya followed the movement with his eyes, only relaxing when he saw Midorima was reaching for a first aid kit. "The injuries he sustained were severe. It would be unconscionable of me to ignore the possi--"

"I've already healed," Tetsuya informed him, sitting up. He was in Kise's bed, the smell of it familiar and comforting. The scent of the night they'd spent together still lingered in the room. "There's no need to examine me." 

Midorima didn't look impressed. "Humor me. I've found that _your kind_ often overestimates your own abilities."

"You know more people like him?" Kise asked, finally catching the implication. "Why did you say so? I was waiting for you to freak out!"

"It's not any of your business," Midorima said. "And I only know _one_ other. I do my best to avoid abnormalities, you know. They're unlucky."

"I apologize for my offensive existence," Tetsuya said blandly. Midorima continued to look unimpressed.

"Ignore him," Kise insisted, grabbing Tetsuya's attention once more. "What happened? Why did it take you so long to get back? And those dogs! They were like you, right? Midorimacchi called animal control on them, and _it worked_."

"Last night," Tetsuya began. He frowned. "It didn't go as I expected." His eyes cut left toward Midorima who stared back. He was clearly not going to leave, so Tetsuya chose to ignore him. "Haizaki-san didn't use violence, not at first. He... he publicly exiled me from the clan. Then he implied that it would be up to the clan to punish me."

"I don't understand," Kise said. "Why exile you?"

"He took my apartment back as well," Tetsuya continued, "but I think that was out of sheer spite. Haizaki-san isn't one to let go of a grudge."

"Clearly." Kise scooted closer on the bed, resting his head on Tetsuya's shoulder. "And then he attacked you?"

Tetsuya shook his head. "He didn't. He just kicked me down the stairs and allowed others to give chase. I didn't think I was going to make it back. I had to actually board a train without being caught. It's not as easy as it seems for such a small dog."

"I was so worried when you weren't here when I woke up," Kise said, voice small and quiet. 

"I apologize. I was outside for some time, but there were others waiting for me. I have to thank you," this he said to Midorima. "Your quick thinking gave me the opening I needed."

"You shouldn't thank me. I wasn't aware of the situation."

"And you should accept my gratitude," Tetsuya persisted. "It's only polite."

Midorima seemed to accept that reason, though he did so with a scowl. "Very well."

"Contact Imayoshi-san for me, Kise-kun. Tell him what happened."

"Me?" Kise looked panicked. "Ah, but Kurokocchi, don't you think he'd rather hear from you?"

Tetsuya didn't blame him. Speaking to an alpha, even over the phone, was an intimidating task. "I'm afraid healing from wounds caused by other shifters takes much more out of me. If it isn't too much trouble, I'd like to rest for a while longer." Even now he could feel the freshly healed skin on his back pull uncomfortably when he moved. Perhaps in an hour or two, it would be fully healed.

"I guess so." Kise didn't look convinced, but he stood up and got his phone anyway, as well as the card Tetsuya had given him with Imayoshi's number on it. He glanced at Tetsuya again, who was settling back into the sheets, before dialing.

Midorima left the room, and Tetsuya closed his eyes. He hadn't lied; he was absolutely _exhausted_. Even with his advanced healing abilities, every part of him ached. He stayed awake, drifting peacefully, while Kise stammered through the phone call with Imayoshi.

"What did he say?" Tetsuya asked, eyes still closed, when he heard Kise put the phone call.

"If you were still awake, you could have called him," Kise said, sulking. He sat down on the bed, the mattress dipping with the added weight. He ran a hand through Tetsuya's hair. "He said he was sending over some extra muscle. Someone to make a statement that you were still under clan protection, just not the canine clan."

Tetsuya hummed thoughtfully. "It'll probably be Aomine-kun." He shifted away from Kise's hand, burrowing himself into the blankets. "Wake me when he arrives." Kise murmured his agreement, then left the room again once more. 

By the time Tetsuya woke up, he felt completely healed. His body no longer ached, but it did feel empty, his stomach gnawing with an intense hunger. Aomine must not have arrived yet, he decided, making his way out of the bedroom.

Kise was sitting on the couch, eating straight out of a bag of potato chips and doing something on his laptop. Music was playing, one of those catchy top 40s songs, and Kise's leg bounced with the beat. "Oh," he said, realizing Tetsuya was there, "you're awake! Midorimacchi already left." He held out the bag. "Hungry?"

"Very," Tetsuya said, joining him on the couch and confiscating the bag. "No news?"

Kise shook his head. "Your friend's taking his time."

"Aomine-kun has always done things on his own time." Though it was worrying that he'd put anything involving Tetsuya off so long. Had something happened?

As though in response to his thoughts, a knock sounded on the door. Kise darted a worried glance at Tetsuya, edging closer. "Should we answer it? Or wait?"

"Aomine-kun would usually announce himself..." Tetsuya stood. "Don't move." He got closer to the door and called out, "Who is it?"

"The boss told me to come," an unfamiliar voice replied. "You going to let me in?"

The boss had to mean Imayoshi. Apparently he hadn't sent Aomine over, something that unsettled Tetsuya. Since when did Imayoshi allow any of his other clansmen to deal with Tetsuya? 

He opened the door and immediately felt a flare of recognition. "Ah, Kagami-kun, wasn't it?"

The man outside the door nodded, looking unconcerned. "You're Aomine's friend, right?"

"Yes." Tetsuya stood aside. "Please come in."

"Sure, sure," Kagami said. "Got any food? I came straight off another job, and _man_ am I starving."

Tetsuya and Kise traded a look. "I'm sure there's something you can have," Kise said, smiling weakly. He didn't look comforted by Imayoshi's 'extra muscle'.

"Sounds good. I'll eat and then we'll move." Kagami made his way straight for the kitchen, not bothering with pleasantries. Tetsuya remembered all of Aomine's complaints about Kagami being 'too American' and suddenly understood. 

Then Kagami's words sunk in. "Move?" he asked, alarmed. "Move where?"

"A safe house," Kagami said. "Everything's going to start rolling soon. Imayoshi said," and here he affected a passable attempt at Imayoshi's accent, "it wouldn't do to have our star player mauled before the final act. Or something. Honestly, most of what he says goes right over my head."

"We're moving," Kise repeated. He slumped into the couch. "I guess I should have expected that."

Tetsuya could relate. Nothing seemed to be going the way he expected, but considering that meant he was still alive, he really couldn't complain.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the support! today i think i may have sprained my arm. i fell trying to stop my son from going head first down the stairs but i wound up crashing into a door frame lmao. i hit my head, shoulder, and elbow, and so im all bloodied up and bruised....made typing a little difficult! so, uh, dont mind if there a few more typos than usual........ ヽ（・＿・；)ノ

The black sports car was parked at the curb of Ryouta's building, a flashy foreign model that drew no small amount of attention from passersby. 

"That's yours?" Ryouta asked, pointing. 

Kagami nodded, carrying a sort of _no big deal_ air about him that made it obvious he came from money. 

"No fair," Ryouta muttered. 

"You're a model," Kuroko said, low enough that the words weren't meant for Kagami's ears. "Can't you buy yourself a car?"

"Sure, but not a car like _that_." Not yet, anyway. 

"Hurry up, we're kind of running behind here," came Kagami's gruff voice from the driver seat, his window rolled down. Ryouta hadn't even noticed him getting in the car.

"Perhaps if you hadn't taken so long to eat," Kuroko suggested mildly, pulling Ryouta by his wrist to the backseat.

Kagami huffed but didn't disagree. Despite his rough personality, Ryouta got the feeling he was the dependable type, an impression that was clear opposite from Kuroko's friend Aomine. When Kagami pulled off the crub and back onto the road proper, Ryouta felt more relieved than anything else. With someone as big and powerful looking as Kagami, what could go wrong?

"So what's the safe house like?" he couldn't help asking. He'd tried to ask earlier, but Kagami was difficult to get answers out of when food was present. Kuroko perked up at the question but otherwise remained silent.

"You'll see when we get there," was Kagami's cryptic response. "It's safe. Isn't that good enough?"

Well, no - or at least that's what Ryouta wanted to say. He wasn't the kind of person who handled not knowing things well. And it seemed like all he had done lately was worry himself sick of things he didn't know. Did Kuroko hate him? Was the dog going to live? Was Kuroko going to live? Was someone going to come after them? In the scheme of things, the design of the safe house shouldn't have been important, but Ryouta was sick of not knowing. 

Kuroko, as though sensing the turn of his thoughts, rested a hand on Ryouta's thigh, squeezing gently. The physical contact stifled some of that boiling frustration, capping it again. Not a permanent solution, but an effective distraction.

"It's going to be nice to feel safe," Kuroko said. "Don't you think?"

Ryouta nodded. "I feel like all we've done is worry."

"You guys really did step into a pile of shit, didn't you?"

"You're very crude, Kagami-kun. As expected of a returnee."

"You sound just like that bastard Aomine!" Kagami seethed, clenching his hands on the steering wheel. 

"He hasn't been very complimentary of you either," Kuroko said. "How did you get off on the wrong foot?"

Kagami muttered under his breath, and what little Ryouta caught sounded like English. "Hell if I know. It's just so _different_ over here. The boss introduced us, and I accidentally called him by his first name. It was an _accident_!" The more Kagami spoke, the louder he got, one hand leaving the wheel to gesture wildly in the air. "No one in the States calls anyone else by their family name! I got use to it that way! I said I was sorry!"

"Aomine-kun does tend to hold grudges. I wouldn't let it bother you." Kuroko seemed almost amused by the situation. Ryouta stifled a grin, turning to look out the window. Kuroko had such a weird sense of humor Ryouta wouldn't have been surprised if he was just trying to stoke the flame of Kagami's irritation. 

They drove for about half an hour. Ryouta was just beginning to drift off when Kagami turned off the road, slowing to a stop in front of a dilapidated motel. "You've got to be kidding me," Ryouta groaned. Kuroko twitched next to him, his nose wrinkling in distaste.

"I know, it totally looks like shit doesn't it?" Kagami scratched at the back of his head sheepishly. "But the boss says an ally owns it and can keep an eye on you guys. It's safe! Seriously! You can relax for a while, you know?"

"I suppose." Kuroko sounded doubtful. 

Kagami had them wait in the car and keep their heads down while he checked them in and retrieved the key. They ended up in a small room with a single queen sized bed, a tiny bathroom, and a television so old it had an antenna with tinfoil wrapped around it on top. 

"It smells," Kuroko announced when they walked in. He turned accusing eyes on Kagami, who held up his hands and backed away.

"Don't blame me! I just delivered you, got it?" He sighed, pulling out his phone. "And I have another stop to make."

"You're leaving us?" Ryouta blurted. "What happened to keeping us safe?"

"You _are_ safe," Kagami promised, "but you're not my only priority, you know? I've got to handle this one thing, then I'll be back. If no one's come for you in five hours, give Imayoshi a call. He'll tell you what to do from there."

Five hours? Ryouta's gut lurched uncomfortably. Anything could happen in five hours! What if someone found them? Kuroko barely made it through his last run in with unfriendly shifters. They'd both get slaughtered.

But Kagami was in a hurry. He was out the door before Ryouta could voice his concerns, instructing them to lock up behind him. Kuroko hurried to comply, turning the deadbolt and latching the chain.

"Five hours," Ryouta said, lost. He sat down on the edge of the bed, the mattress protesting his weight with a loud creak. 

"We'll be fine," Kuroko said firmly. But despite the resolve in his voice, he looked as lost as Ryouta felt, standing by the door and letting his eyes skip from one object to the next.

"Come here," Ryouta said when Kuroko's gaze fell on him. He stretched out a hand. 

Kuroko came, sitting next to him, but when Ryouta moved to bury his face in his neck, Kuroko slid away. "You can't possibly be thinking of _that_ right now?"

"What else are we going to do?" Ryouta didn't want to think about why they were there or anything else. Why not have sex?

"We should talk," Kuroko said."I've completely uprooted your life. Neither of us have attended class for _days_ , and your career--"

"Can wait," Ryouta cut him off. "All of that can wait. I told you before, didn't I?" He pulled Kuroko close again. "I made my decision. I'm not going back on it, Kurokocchi, so don't you dare get cold feet on me!"

"I couldn't back out now if I wanted to," Kuroko murmured, hands resting on Ryouta's shoulders.

They kissed with a frantic edge. All of the worries Ryouta hoarded in his heart poured into Kuroko, leaving him with a feeling of absolution. Everything would be fine. If they were together, nothing could go wrong.

Kuroko's nails dug into his shoulders as Kise pushed him back into the bed. His body went hot, remembering the way he'd taken Kuroko the first time they were together, but Ryouta doubted he could last that long. He groaned when Kuroko snaked a hand between them and palmed Ryouta's dick through his pants, massaging him until he felt ready to burst at the seams. 

"Next time," Ryouta panted, his lips brushing Kuroko's ear, "next time I want to fuck you, all right? But for now, just keep touching me--" Kuroko shivered. He fumbled to undo Ryouta's pants and pull his cock out, stroking his thumb lightly over the head. Ryouta swallowed audibly before returning the favor. 

They stroked each other in a heated frenzy, neither able to keep a steady pace. Now that Ryouta had his hands on Kuroko, he couldn't think straight for the desire clouding his mind. "How does it feel?" he was gasping. "Kurokocchi, tell me--"

"I love your hands," Kuroko said, his voice barely a whisper. He licked his lips, and Ryouta's cock twitched in his hand. "They always feel good on me."

Ryouta didn't know how Kuroko could sound so composed. Already he was falling apart, torn between the pleasure of Kuroko jerking him off and seeing the flush spread across Kuroko's face as his eyes went hooded and he bit his lip to stifle any sounds he might make. 

Ryouta came first, hips jerking as he let out a low wounded sound. Kuroko worked him through it, hand not slowing until Ryouta finally went limp and rolled off him. He looked like he was about to sit up, so Ryouta forced himself to move despite the pleasant sluggishness plaguing his body and swallowed down Kuroko's cock. The surprise of it was enough to send Kuroko off, catching him so off guard he didn't make a sound as he came, Ryouta swallowing every last drop he had to offer.

Kuroko stroked Ryouta's hair when he finally relaxed, not bothering to move Ryouta's head from where it rested on his thigh. "Do you feel better now?"

Ryouta hummed. "Less bored," he said. "But you know, I was thinking."

"Were you." Ah, there was that familiar note of amusement. 

"Maybe we should investigate the shower," Ryouta continued. "Could be fun."

Kuroko laughed, a sound Ryouta knew he'd hold close to his heart forever. "I suppose," he allowed. "We certainly have the time."

~

After three hours, a knock sounded on the door.

"That was faster than I expected," Kuroko said. He gestured for Ryouta to collect their things when he went to the door. Ryouta was in the middle of searching for his lost sock when he heard Kuroko made a surprised sound. "Where's Kagami-kun?"

The shifter at the door wasn't one Ryouta had ever seen, and by the look on Kuroko's face, Ryouta assumed he hadn't either. The shifter looked impatient. "He was attacked," he said tersely. "We don't have much time. Don't bother grabbing anything. Just come on."

Ryouta felt a chill sweep through him. Kagami was attacked. Because of them? He looked to Kuroko and found his blue eyes wide with something like pain. Another person dragged into their mess. It seemed endless.

Ryouta found his sock and quickly slipped his shoes on. "Then let's get out of here," he said, nodding to Kuroko. "Kagami got attacked trying to keep us safe. Let's not let him down."


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the support! and the concern. i'm pretty bruised but everything still seems to work haha.

Their escort was definitely feline. Tetsuya made a point of scenting the air, trying to catch anything that didn't belong, but all he could smell was the base scent of the feline clan, faint traces of other cats, and the shifter's own unique scent. He didn't introduce himself, and he didn't care to make conversation. The other shifter didn't even make much eye contact with them beyond occasionally glancing over his shoulder to make sure Tetsuya and Kise were following.

The car he led them to was nothing like Kagami's. Nothing about it looked fancy or spoke of wealth. It was a plain black sedan, at least a decade old. The paint was faded and scratched, and the back window bore a large crack that stretched from the right side just past the center. Before the shifter opened the door, Tetsuya could tell it had been cleaned recently. _Very_ recently, if the potent smell of air freshener was anything to go by. Tetsuya wrinkled his nose, resisting the urge to pull his shirt up over his face to provide even a slight barrier against the powerful chemical flowers odor.

"But do you know if he's all right?" Kise was asking. He seemed especially bothered that their escort didn't say much. Kagami had been so chatty, so disarmingly friendly, and the new guy was the exact opposite. "Kagami seemed so tough, too. Who attacked him?"

The shifter gave Kise an exasperated look, one that distinctly lacked any fondness. "You'll get an update later," he said. "Just get in the damn car before someone gets _us_!"

Kise frowned but did as instructed, and Tetsuya climbed into the back of the car with him. "Not a friendly guy, is he?" Kise muttered.

"Friendliness isn't a job requirement," Tetsuya pointed out. Not for hired muscle, in any case. And if this man _was_ one of Imayoshi's enforcers, like Aomine was, then his indifferent facade made perfect sense. None of those guys were especially emotional when it came to work. They got in, did the job, and left with minimal fuss. 

Kise pouted. How he managed to pout without seeming at all un-masculine was a feat Tetsuya hadn't managed to work out yet. "I know, I know," he said.

Their escort wasted no time getting on the road. Tetsuya watched the last familiar parts of central Tokyo disappear and realized they were heading north. He frowned, trying to place where the feline clan might have property up north but drew a blank. The canine clan had a few southern properties, but further north delved into snake territory which was, needless to say, not a place any sane shifter would want to trespass. 

"I hope we're not going to another hotel," Kise said. He tried to get the driver's attention. "Hey, are we? If we are, I'll pay for a nicer one. Seriously, I was kind of worried about catching a disease in that one..."

"You didn't seem _too_ worried," Tetsuya said in a low voice. Kise snickered.

But their driver didn't comment. He kept his eyes on the road, making turn after turn so that Tetsuya couldn't keep up with where they were going. Were they still heading north? Perhaps this man was following Akashi's instructions and taking them somewhere suitable in snake territory? The longer they drove, the more Tetsuya found himself unsettled. 

_There's no reason to worry_ , he told himself, keeping his face clear of emotion. He didn't want to upset Kise. Even so, his instincts had come alive, flashing a faint warning, one that grew louder and louder as time passed. It wasn't until they pulled onto the highway that Tetsuya realized he wasn't imagining things. The car wasn't heading north into snake territory, but rather it was heading _south_ toward canine territory.

Tetsuya looked at the rear view mirror, trying to catch a glimpse of their escort's eyes, but he was truly focused on the road, staring so intently out in front of him that Tetsuya almost thought he was trying to avoid looking back at his two passengers.

No, Tetsuya realized, he wasn't imagining things. The other shifter was really and truly trying to ignore that they were in the car with him altogether. It was as if he felt guilty about something.

Kise let out a sigh and rested his forehead against the window, staring out at the passing cars. Tetsuya wanted to grab his hand, to tell him what he thought, but it was too risky. He couldn't alert the driver. But if he was right...

If Tetsuya was right, there was a mole in the feline clan, and this man must have been ordered to intervene. He wasn't taking them to a safe house. He was taking them to Tetsuya's clan.

Tetsuya felt his phone in his pocket and slipped it out slowly. If he could send a message to someone, _anyone_ , they might make it out of there. Perhaps Kagami hadn't been attacked at all and was on his way to the hotel to get them right that very moment.

Kise watched Tetsuya type out a message on his phone, his brow furrowed. Tetsuya was sure he wanted to know why he was hiding the phone down low on the seat, but if Kise had any sense at all, he wouldn't say anything.

 _Almost_ , Tetsuya thought, darting a glance back up at the driver. _Almost done._

But when he looked up again, the driver met his eyes. The car swerved abruptly, and Tetsuya lost his grip on his phone, watching it slide under the front seat. The car pulled over onto the road's shoulder, and just as Kise got Tetsuya righted, the other shifter opened the back door and reached under the seat for the phone. He glanced through it, noting that the message was unsent, and tucked it into his pocket. Then he looked at Kise and said, "Give me your phone."

"Why?" Kise looked between him and Tetsuya, his hand reaching into his pocket for his phone. "What's happening?"

"We've been betrayed," Tetsuya said, keeping his voice level. Kise stared at him, uncomprehending, but the shifter made the decision for him.

He pulled a gun from the holster underneath his jacket and held the barrel to Tetsuya's temple. "Phone," he growled, " _now_."

Kise didn't hesitate to comply. He practically threw his phone at the shifter, his eyes wide. "You have to be kidding," he said. "This... this is a joke, right?"

"It's not a joke, Kise-kun." Tetsuya did grab his hand that time. "I always told Aomine-kun cats weren't loyal."

"It's not about that," the shifter said. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Tetsuya could smell his anxiety easily, but there was no guilt underneath it. That man didn't feel bad at all about selling them out, but Tetsuya would bet money that he was terrified of being caught. "Just stay where you are and keep quiet. Don't make this difficult."

"Make it difficult? Isn't it already difficult?" Kise demanded. "How can you do this?"

"I don't owe you anything," the shifter said. He slammed the back door again before getting back into the front seat. "Try anything, and you're both dead."

As if they weren't already both going to die the moment he handed them over?

"Kagami," Kise began, "he wasn't attacked, was he? He's totally fine?"

The driver didn't say anything. Tetsuya nodded, though. "I would imagine they distracted him. Clever, really. Imayoshi-san would never expect this out of one of his own." It wasn't an exaggeration, either. Imayoshi trusted his clan, especially his enforcers, with his life on a regular basis. He took care of them. Why would they betray him? Tetsuya could only imagine what Haizaki must have promised. Power? Money? Authority? Perhaps he planned on overthrowing the felines as well? It wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination. Haizaki wanted his clan to be front and center, so it would make sense that he'd try to meddle with any clan he perceived as in his way.

Kise caught Tetsuya's eye. _What do we do?_ he mouthed. Tetsuya shook his head. Not here, he tried to project. They couldn't make a plan anywhere near the other shifter, but once they were handed over, nothing could be done either. They were well and truly stuck.

The car continued on. They drove on for a long time, at least an hour by Tetsuya's estimation. The car slowed as it passed through a street of warehouses, stopping in front of one. All of the building looked the same, large metal warehouses with shipping containers surrounding them. When the driver opened the front door and got out, the scent of multiple canines hit Tetsuya full force. There was no doubt about whose territory they were in.

The shifter opened the back door and pointed his gun at Tetsuya. "You," he said, "out. Now." His aim never wavered. 

Tetsuya held his hands up in a show of compliance, then unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. He turned back to look at Kise as the shifter gestured for him to move. But before Kise could get out of the car, the shifter stopped him.

"Don't move," he warned both of them. Tetsuya watched as he went for something in a bag in the front passenger seat, a small black gym bag he'd completely disregarded before. The shifter pulled out a pair of handcuffs, but instead of securing them on Tetsuya, he slapped the cuffs on Kise, securing him to the bars on the headrest of the front seat.

"What are you doing?" Tetsuya demanded, alarmed. 

The shifter slammed the car door before swinging the gun around, keeping it trained on Tetsuya's face. "What I was told to do," he said, his voice void of emotion. "This one," he cocked his head toward the window where Kise could be seen struggling against the handcuffs, "goes for a ride with me. You stay."

The thought of being separated from Kise chilled Tetsuya, made him want to collapse to his knees and beg the man to reconsider. What could he offer? What would it take? But he held his ground. "And what do you plan to do?" he asked. "Handcuff me here as well?"

The shifter laughed. "A tiny thing like you? No, you'd just slip right out of the cuffs if I did that. Can't have you getting away before _your_ ride comes. No, I have to be a little more careful than that. They warned me about you."

"They?" Tetsuya asked, trying to stall. There had to be something he could do, anything at all - he had to save Kise. Even if he didn't make it, Kise had to live. 

"Your clan," the shifter said. "Though I guess they aren't with you anymore, huh? I don't know what you did to fuck up so bad they threw you out of your own clan, but someone like you doesn't deserve our protection."

"So that's what it is," Tetsuya murmured. "You resent me."

The shifter shook his head. "Doesn't matter. I know your type, too tricky for your own good. They said not to trust you."

"Who's they?" What could he use? Kise was still in the car, still stuck to the seat. Tetsuya's only option was to somehow knock the other shifter out, but he was a big guy, just as tall and as broad as Kagami. He looked bred to fight, had the cocksure look of someone who saw violence every day and conquered it just as often. Tetsuya was a tiny thing, just like the other shifter said. He recalled Aomine's voice, his certainty that Tetsuya couldn't beat anyone in a fight. _And he was right_ , Tetsuya thought. He couldn't win here. He couldn't do anything.

He couldn't save Kise.

Tetsuya looked again at the car, keeping his eyes on Kise's face. He looked an odd mix of terrified and enraged. He hadn't given up yet. Tetsuya wished he could channel some of that will power. At the moment, the only thing he could think was _even now, I can't protect anyone._

Kise's eyes went wide. He slammed his shoulder against the car window just as something heavy hit the side of Tetsuya's head. His vision went black before he hit the ground.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the support! aaaaah we're so close to the end....i can't believe it.....

Watching Kuroko's body hit the ground was a sight Ryouta knew he'd never forget as long as he lived. He'd remember it coupled with the pain of the handcuffs biting into wrists while he struggled, the overpowering scent of cheap air freshener, and the panicked sweat budding up on his forehead.

The other shifter gripped Kuroko under his arms and dragged him off behind a shipping container. Ryouta pressed his face against the glass, desperate to see if Kuroko was still breathing, but he couldn't see clearly enough through the tears blurring his eyes. By the time he'd wiped them away, Kuroko was out of sight.

"No," he breathed, finally going still. Kuroko was _gone_. After everything, after all they'd been through, would this be the thing that killed them? He looked around the area, glancing behind him just in time to see another car arrive. That must have been what the other shifter meant when he said they were waiting for Kuroko's ride. But why separate them at all? They were going to die no matter what. Couldn't Haizaki have allowed them that small mercy, of going together?

Ryouta's lower lip trembled. He felt the tears burn at his eyes before they finally spilled over, and once the first one fell, it was like a dam breaking open. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to feel pain. He didn't want to see Kuroko taken from him. Everything hit him all at once, and it was all he could do to keep from doubling over and screaming his fear for the world to hear. The handcuffs kept him mostly upright, though the skin around his wrists was scraped raw and bleeding. Once the adrenalin wore off it would hurt like hell, he knew, but who was to say he'd be alive long enough to feel it?

_Don't think like that_ , he scolded himself. Kuroko wouldn't give up. He hadn't given up, not even when things seemed hopeless. He'd nearly gotten that message out. If Ryouta hadn't drawn attention to him by staring, he might have succeeded.

In the end, that's what it was. All of this was down to Ryouta. If he'd never shown up in Kuroko's life, none of this would have happened. Certainly not on such a grand scale. Kuroko would still be an invisible bit player on a board too large to comprehend, and Ryouta would still be charming his way through an empty, lonely life.

It was funny, though, how even knowing that didn't make him regret meeting Kuroko. Not even a little.

The other shifter returned a few minutes later, looking much less put together. Ryouta wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt and watched the man climb back into the car. He was sweating more, and his hands shook when he tried to start the car again, sending the keys clattering to the ground. He picked them up with a muttered curse and tried again.

"What did you do to him?" Ryouta's voice was hoarse from crying.

He thought the shifter might ignore him but after a few minutes of driving, "I didn't do anything. Whatever happens is on the dogs."

Ridiculous. "I hope you don't expect Imayoshi to agree with that," Ryouta said. "He didn't want--"

"Shut up about that! You don't know anything about the alpha, so keep your mouth shut! Humans should stay out of what they don't understand."

Ryouta's mouth snapped shut, the man's explosive anger catching him off guard. He couldn't afford to antagonize him anymore, not until Ryouta could figure out some way out of the situation. The angrier he made the shifter, the worse things would get. Ryouta doubted anyone would get upset over a dead human, not where he was going.

Though _where_ he was going was just as big of a question as why he was going there. What use was he to Kuroko's old clan? If they wanted a bargaining chip, they should have kept Kuroko. Or maybe that _is_ what they planned to do with Kuroko... But where did that leave him?

They drove for a long time. Ryouta wasn't sure how long, but he _did_ notice when the area became more familiar. They weren't going further away; they were heading right back to central Tokyo. He glanced at the driver. The man paid him no mind, focusing on the road ahead. They passed by the university, the train station, a boutique Ryouta did a shoot at once, and they kept driving. The man didn't so much as glance back at Ryouta even once, not until the car stopped again.

Ryouta's stomach turned when he saw the luxury high rise he'd come to know as Kuroko's home. What were they doing there? He remembered Kuroko saying Haizaki took his home from him, but surely they weren't using it as well?

Although why not? If Haizaki's aim was to destroy Kuroko, to seek revenge on him for getting him kicked out of what he saw as his rightful place as heir to the alpha, what better way to rub salt in the wound than to use Kuroko's home as a base of operations?

The shifter parked the car, then opened Ryouta's door. He move his jacket out of the way so Ryouta could see his gun, then said in a low voice, "Don't move unless I tell you to. Don't try to run. I'll do worse than kill you if you try."

Ryouta looked away and nodded. He kept his eyes trained on the opposite window as the shifter unlocked his cuffs and jerked him from the car. It was evening now, and the sun was starting to set. The parking area was mostly empty, so his escort didn't waste time with discretion. He half dragged Ryouta by his arm to the building, only loosening his hold when they were inside. To a passerby, Ryouta probably looked like he was being kindly escorted, but the shifter's claws were out and digging into his skin, an ever present warning. There was no kindness there.

Things got worse when they arrived at Kuroko's old apartment. The shifter knocked, three sharp raps, and called out, "It's me." After a pause, the door opened.

Ryouta had been right, if the three shifters sitting around in Kuroko's kitchen were anything to go by. They really were using it as some kind of base.

"You're late," the shifter who opened the door said. He barely glanced at Ryouta. "What took you?"

"The pick up wasn't on time." The cat shifter's claws dug harder into Ryouta's arms, no doubt an attack of nerves. "It wasn't my fault. I held up my end."

The man rolled his eyes and stepped back, gesturing them inside. "Whatever, just get in here. Seto, lock him in the room, will you?"

Seto, a tall man with an unfortunate slicked back hairstyle, stood from where he'd been sitting on the sofa, setting down the hand of cards he'd been frowning at. "Sure, sure," he said. "Toss him here."

Ryouta's escort shoved him at Seto, who wasted no time in dragging him to Kuroko's bedroom. "Stay quiet," he said. He didn't bother with threats. Ryouta was already there, after all. The situation couldn't get much worse.

The door was locked from the outside with an audible _click_ , leaving Ryouta trapped. Kuroko's room had no windows, and the bathroom wasn't connected. There was no way out. Ryouta sat down on the bed and shoved the heels of his palms against his eyes, trying to take deep breaths. He had to focus. He couldn't give up. He had to _focus_ \--

"What's the point?" he asked aloud, as though expecting the room to answer. He dropped his hands and stared wearily at the bare room. Then he frowned. It was Kuroko's room, wasn't it? Had it always been so bare? He didn't remember much about it. Though they spent a lot of time together, Kuroko hadn't invited Ryouta into his room. He'd only gotten quick looks at it while passing by when the door was open, and even then he hadn't stopped to think about how it looked. But it was, wasn't it? No posters on the wall, no collectibles anywhere... It looked like a guest room rather than a bedroom, a place to stay for someone just passing through.

The only pieces of furniture in the room were the bed, a small desk, and a bedside table with a single drawer. The closet seemed to be where the clothes were kept, and when Ryouta opened it, there wasn't much inside. Two pairs of shoes, a few sets of clothing. He went to the bedside table and opened the drawer: a novel, a half empty bag of vanilla candy, and a cell phone charger were inside it. Nothing spoke of Kuroko's personality. The novel, an old and well used mystery novel, looked like something a housewife would read. Was that Kuroko's taste in fiction? It was sad, how little Ryouta knew about him. Everything had exploded into the open before Ryouta got the chance to know all the little details about Kuroko and his life. He wanted to know Kuroko as a whole, who he was when he was alone. Was it too late for that? Ryouta flipped through the book, weighed down by the fear of losing Kuroko, of having failed in the brief time they had together.

A loud pounding startled him. Ryouta nearly dropped the book, managing to catch it and place it back into the drawer as the pounding picked up again, followed by an agitated, "Shut up, I'm coming!" The voice belonged to the man who opened the door. Ryouta pressed his ear against the bedroom door.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Relief," whoever was at the door said in a lazy drawl. "Move out of the way." The sound of stumbling, the door slamming closed.

"I didn't hear anything about this."

"Annoying," the newcomer announced. "Shut up and move, or I'll crush you."

Silence fell in the apartment again. What did relief mean? Was it like switching shifts? Ryouta listened harder, but nothing else seemed to be happening. Then, "Can I go?" It was the feline shifter, the one who brought him there. He hadn't left yet?

"Whatever," the newcomer said.

"And," here the feline shifter stuttered, "my reward?"

"You can leave now," the newcomer said, an edge to his voice now, "and I won't crush you. Congratulations."

Silence, then the sound of shuffling feet, the door opening and closing. What reward was the feline shifter promised? Whatever it was, he apparently didn't get it. _Serves him right, the bastard_ , Ryouta thought with grim satisfaction.

"So where is he?" the newcomer asked after a few minutes of tense silence. "The human. I want to see him."

"Back room," another voice said. After a moment, Ryouta recognized it as Seto. "Here are the keys."

Despite not welcoming him, none of the shifters seemed especially eager to challenge the newcomer. Was he someone important to the canines? Ryouta moved away from the door, settling on the edge of the bed again. He couldn't imagine what he wanted with him. Probably nothing good.

It took another few minutes, but then Ryouta heard the sound of keys in the lock. The door swung open, and Ryouta looked up... and up. "Holy shit," he muttered, scooting further away on the bed. No wonder no one wanted to mess with the guy. He was _enormous_. He actually had to duck his head to walk into the room, his shaggy purple hair falling across his face as he did. He closed the door behind him, and Ryouta felt keenly aware of just how much space the man took up. If he chose to attack, there wouldn't be a damn thing Ryouta could do about it.

They stared at each other, unblinking, and Ryouta swore his heart didn't beat the entire time. Then the man let out a long and unhappy sigh and dropped onto the ground, his back against the door. "I'm _tiiiiiired_ ," he said, his voice a petulant whine. "Do you have anything to eat? I ran out of snacks on the way over."

Ryouta, feeling like a deer in headlights, reached over to the drawer and pulled out the bag of vanilla candies. He held them up, and the other man's eyes lit up.

"I want them," he said. Ryouta tossed them over without a word. "Oh, I haven't tried this... the vanilla is hard to find." He unwrapped one of the candies and popped it into his mouth, his eyes closing as a look of rapture crossed his face. He looked more like a grade school kid than a terrifying giant, and Ryouta's body relaxed against his will. "They're good," he said after a moment. "I hope they last until it's time."

"Time?" Ryouta said. He was pleased to note his voice didn't break.

The man hummed, already reaching for another candy. "Until Aka-chin calls. I can't take you anywhere until he says so."

"Aka...?" Ryouta's eyes went wide. "You mean Akashi?!"

"Yeah, Aka-chin."

So hope wasn't lost. If that guy was there on Akashi's orders, Ryouta had to assume Akashi sent someone for Kuroko as well. "What's your name?"

"Murasakibara," he said, chewing loudly. "Atsushi."


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: some fairly graphic shifter on human violence, as well as non-graphic aftermath of violence
> 
> thanks for the support!

The concrete ground of the warehouse felt cool against Tetsuya's face. He could feel blood and saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth, his busted lower lip making it impossible to close his mouth all the way. His hands were bound behind his back, pulling his shoulders uncomfortably taut. Every part of him hurt.

The shifters were people he knew. Perhaps he should have expected it, but seeing people he grew up with treat him with such casual cruelty broke a part of Tetsuya. Hideki Ishida was staring intently at his phone, while Kazuhiro Mochizuki leaned against the wall near Tetsuya. They both seemed to be doing their best to pretend he wasn't on the ground at their feet.

There were two other shifters around, but they weren't familiar to Tetsuya. He suspected they weren't canine either, considering their respective scents. Haizaki, for all his talk of clan purity, must have hired them from outside the clan.

"Any word yet?" Kazuhiro asked. 

Hideki shook his head. "He's taking his time," he said. "Haizaki probably has a lot to deal with right now."

Tetsuya hoped so. If he was lucky, Haizaki would be too caught up in everything else to deal with him or Kise. Maybe that would give Kise the time to escape or find help. Tetsuya couldn't stop thinking about the last glimpse he'd gotten of him, of the terror written so plainly on his face. It was an expression Tetsuya never wanted to see again on anyone, especially not on Kise.

How long had he been there? Time had no meaning. The windows of the warehouse were blocked with black tarp. The only light source was a few flickering florescent lights strung from the high ceiling by thick black cords that swung every time anyone walked underneath them. He'd lost consciousness at some point, and for all he knew hours could have passed. Days, even. Kise could be dead already. Kagami, Riko, everyone he'd ever known - perhaps the coup had come and gone and failed, and Tetsuya was the last bit of thread left for Haizaki to unwind before his ideal clan fell into place.

Once again, Tetsuya was useless.

Hideki's phone chimed, and he started so badly he nearly dropped it. Kazuhiro pushed off the wall and drew closer. "Is it him?"

Hideki nodded, putting his phone away. "He's half an hour out. Said he'll be here as fast as he can get here." They both turned to look at Tetsuya before quickly glancing away. "We should tell the others..."

Kazuhiro walked toward the back of the warehouse. "Got it, got it. You just take care of things here."

What was there to take care of? They all knew Tetsuya wasn't getting up any time soon. Even if he managed it, he'd just get thrown down again. They might as well have already killed him, though he suspected Haizaki was reserving that privilege for himself.

A door opened at the other side of the warehouse, and from the lack of light pouring in, Tetsuya deduced it was night. He'd been in there at least a few hours then, though there was no telling how many. Would they give him a straight answer if he asked? He tried to get a read on Hideki's face, but it hurt to crane his neck. It wouldn't matter, most likely, because Hideki would just ignore anything he said. It seemed to be easier for him to pretend Tetsuya wasn't there. 

Perhaps he could use that.

Tetsuya carefully began to shuffle his body, army crawling a short distance and stopping. Hideki was looking at his phone again, the light shining off it onto his face like something from a game. He was distracted. Tetsuya moved a little further along the wall before stopping and repeating the process: crawl, stop, wait. He did it for a good few minutes, but the work was slow. If Hideki turned to look at him even once he'd lose his chance. All he needed to do was make it to the bend in the wall where the light cast shadows. It would be enough of a distance for him to shift and break free before Hideki could realize and catch him, but he also ran the risk of Kazuhiro returning and catching him. Kazuhiro was much more prone to violence than Hideki, and if he thought Tetsuya was trying to escape, he'd probably stomp him into unconsciousness again.

 _A little further_ , he told himself, crawling at an excruciatingly slow pace. _Just a little further...!_

The door at the back of the warehouse opened again. Tetsuya bit back a curse, knowing his time had run out. Kazuhiro would be walking back to them any second--

But Kazuhiro didn't appear. Hideki realized something was wrong and peered out at the other end of the warehouse. Then he swing around to look at Tetsuya, his expression darkening when he saw how far away he'd gotten.

"You're going to get us killed," he spat, storming over to where Tetsuya was pressed against the wall. "When I tell Haizaki--" Hideki froze.

Tetsuya struggled to sit up against the wall, frowning. "Hideki-kun?"

Hideki said nothing at first. Then his eyes shot open wide and he let out a panicked sound. "What is this?" He started thrashing his arms, but his legs, Tetsuya noted, did not move. He narrowed his eyes, extending his senses, and sucked in a harsh breath. Around Hideki's legs and slowly winding up his body was the thickest snake Tetsuya had ever seen, even in pictures. It moved slowly, but from the way Hideki panted and began clawing at the snake, Tetsuya knew it had to be squeezing him hard - painfully so.

"Who are you?" Hideki demanded. The snake was up his torso, winding tighter and tighter. Hideki let out a wet gasping sound and then began to choke, his eyes bulging.

Tetsuya watched, horrified, as the snake literally crushed Hideki to death, breaking him with every tiny fraction of increased pressure. When Hideki's body finally gave with a sickening crunching sound, his neck went limp and his head lolled back and forth, his eyes wide and unseeing. Tetsuya wanted to look away but found himself frozen, his eyes glued to the grotesque scene before him.

"Shit, did you really have to do that?" Another form emerged from the darker half of the warehouse. Tetsuya managed to pull his eyes away from Hideki's body at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Kagami...kun?"

Kagami was pulling on a sweatshirt, apparently having just shifted to his human form again. "In the flesh," he said with a grin which fell as soon as he got a good look at Tetsuya. "Damn it!" He hurried over, dropping down to unbind Tetsuya's hands. He got him upright and began patting him down. "Anything broken? Anything not healing?"

"Everything hurts," Tetsuya said, "but none of it's bad. It'll be fine in an hour or two."

Kagami breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry about this, Kuroko," he said. "This is all my fault. I should have known not to trust anyone with Imayoshi's say so, but I went and let that bastard trick me into giving you guys up!"

"There isn't much you could have done," Tetsuya said, unwilling to place the blame on Kagami. "If you can't trust your own clan, then there isn't anyone you _can_ trust."

"Then where does that leave you?" Kagami asked. Tetsuya wished he had an answer to give him. 

The snake released Hideki's body, sending it crashing to the ground into a grotesque heap. Tetsuya glanced at it, then quickly looked away. The snake itself contorted for a brief moment, then began to shift, returning to its human form. The man who unfurled from the snake's body was enormous, bigger and more muscular than Kagami with dark skin and piercing eyes. 

"Nebuya, you sadist," Kagami snapped, "you could have dragged him somewhere so Kuroko didn't have to watch!"

"I figured he wouldn't mind after what the bastards did to him," Nebuya said. "Got my clothes?" 

Kagami huffed, but then unshouldered a bag Tetsuya hadn't noticed he was carrying. "Here," he said, tossing it to Nebuya. "Hurry up and cover your ass up. We need to get out of here before anyone else shows up."

Nebuya laughed at that, completely unconcerned about the idea of Haizaki sending backup. "They can try and stop us," he announced as he dug through the bag.

"Kagami-kun, what about Kise-kun?" Tetsuya asked. Though he feared the answer, he still had to know. 

But Kagami grinned again, shoving lightly against Tetsuya's shoulder. "Don't worry about him. Nebuya over there said Akashi sent a pretty strong guy to get him. You'll see Kise in no time."

"I'm glad," Tetsuya said. And he was. Though there remained a small part of himself that wished he could have been the one to save Kise, he knew that his pride had to be put aside. Kise was so much more important than that. 

"You don't have to worry," Kagami continued, helping Tetsuya to his feet. "One of us will always be around to drag your sad ass out of trouble!" From the way he grinned, Tetsuya knew it was a joke, but the words hit him like a punch to the gut, forcing all the air from his lungs. 

_Useless_ , he thought. _I am completely useless_. Because Kagami was _right_. Tetsuya had never been able to do anything on his own. He was small and weak, and no amount of will power or fighting spirit would give him what he needed to save himself, let alone save Kise. He should consider himself fortunate to have such good friends around to help him, but in that moment, leaning on Kagami to keep himself upright, all Tetsuya felt was worthless.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the support! you know....my least favorite thing about writing fic with murasakibara in it is having to type murasakibara over and over. it doesnt even look like a real word to me anymore. ridiculous.

The candy ran out long before Akashi called. Ryouta gravitated between panic and resignation, expecting Murasakibara to lose his cool and pummel him to death at any moment. He kept asking for food Ryouta didn't have, then casting longing glances at the door. 

"I'm sure there's food in the kitchen," Ryouta tried. _Just go find some!_ Were snakes usually so gluttonous? 

"Aka-chin said not to leave you once I found you." Another mournful look at the door. Ryouta wasn't good at handling people like Murasakibara, so he chose silence for once in his life. Akashi would call soon... He _had_ to call soon--

Murasakibara's phone rang, a cheery jingle like something off a commercial. He looked at the caller id, then answered. "Aka-chin, that was way too long," he said. He paused, listening to whatever Akashi had to say. "Okay. Yeah. He's here." Murasakibara looked at Ryouta. "Ah, yeah. Okay. I will." He hung up.

Ryouta leaned forward so quickly he nearly toppled off the edge of the bed. "Was that Akashi? What did he say? Can we leave?"

"Yeah, looks like it." Murasakibara pocketed his phone and stood. "Let's go."

Go? Just like that? Ryouta wanted to protest. Surely they should be a little more discrete? But Murasakibara didn't think so, because he just opened the door and walked out, leaving it wide open. Ryouta stood in the doorway, trying to make a decision, when a loud banging sound echoed from the other side of the apartment, followed by a pained shout and frenzied movement.

"What the hell are y--" Another thud. Ryouta had a bad feeling.

He crept down the hall and peered out into the living room. All of the shifters who he he'd seen earlier were on the floor. Seto's head was literally caved in on the back like he'd taken a heavy blow from something. Murasakibara tossed the last of the shifters across the room like a rag doll and glanced at Ryouta over his shoulder. "We can go now."

"Right," Ryouta breathed. Holy shit. _Holy shit_. That wasn't normal, right? All shifters couldn't do that, could they? "I, ah, wasn't expecting a snake to be so..." He didn't know how to finish that.

"Huh?" Murasakibara actually looked offended. "I'm not one of those guys. Aka-chin just asks me to do stuff sometimes."

"Oh. So... what are you?" Was that rude to ask? Suddenly Ryouta found himself wishing he'd asked Kuroko about shifter etiquette. Murasakibara was _not_ someone he wanted to offend.

"A bear," he said. That _did_ make more sense... Ryouta got the sense that, rather than being offended, Murasakibara was sulking. 

"Let's go," Ryouta said, hurrying to change the subject. "We should definitely leave before anyone else shows up!"

Murasakibara nodded. "That would be a lot of trouble," he said. "I'm tired..." He pushed his hair out of his eyes, huffing like everything in the world was just _too much damn trouble_. Ryouta was itching to do something to Murasakibara's hair, tie it up or give him a hat or _something_ , but he was afraid of overstepping his boundaries. Instead, Ryouta followed him out of the apartment and toward the parking area where Murasakibara stopped and stared at the cars in the lot for a good three minutes before saying, "So, do you have a car?"

Ryouta just stared. "No."

"Me neither," Murasakibara said. "Can you drive?"

"I know _how_ ," Ryouta hedged. He'd never gotten around to getting a license though.

"Oh, that's good. I was wonder how we were going to get back." Murasakibara lifted his head and scented the air. Then he looked to the right, his gaze falling on a little red sports car. "Come on."

"I thought you didn't have a car?"

"I don't, but I don't think those guys are going to need a car anymore," Murasakibara said. His arm reared back to punch the window, and Ryouta grabbed his bicep.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ryouta cried. "Let's at least try the doors first!" Were they really going to break into the car and steal it? If Murasakibara knew this was what they had to do, why didn't he just take the keys off one of the shifters? More than being rescued, he kind of felt like he was babysitting.

"Good idea," Murasakibara said. He tried the door. It opened, much to Ryouta's relief.

"We should really get the keys, though. I don't know how to hotwire a car." It was a _joke_ , but Murasakibara just waved his hand.

"I can do that," he assured Ryouta. Which, right, of _course_ he could hotwire a car. Why not? 

Ryouta watched him duck under the steering wheel and fiddle around with a few wires. It was impressive to watch, like something out of a movie. Murasakibara was like some sort of idiot savant. He didn't seem at all capable, but put him to work doing something criminal and he was suddenly a jack of all trades. Akashi certainly knew how to pick his henchmen. 

The engine roared to life, and Murasakibara sat back looking satisfied. "We can go now," he said.

"Good job," Ryouta praised, and Murasakibara actually smiled at him. 

He drove slowly, mindful of any police that might be around. If he got pulled over, he suspected the fact that he was driving without a license would be the least of his worries. Who knew what Murasakibara would do to someone who got in the way of Akashi's orders?

"You're driving slow, Kise-chin."

Ryouta almost slammed on the breaks. "What's with that name?" he demanded. "And I'm trying not to get pulled over!"

"Kise-chin is Kise-chin," came the vague response. "I'm hungry, you know. If you're going to drive so slow you have to pick something up for me to eat."

Or what, Ryouta wanted to ask. But Murasakibara _did_ save him. Getting him a burger was the least he could do for him, not to mention... Ryouta opened the glove box and laughed. "Well, we have plenty of money. Why not?"

Talk about a surreal experience... Ryouta didn't eat much fast food himself. His manager, who no doubt assumed he'd gone AWOL by then, kept Ryouta on a fairly strict diet. But after a careful count of their newly acquired funds, he decided to give it a try. 

"Order three number ones," Murasakibara said after scrutinizing the menu. "The biggest size."

"Can you really eat that much?" 

"Eventually I can." 

Well, fair enough. Ryouta felt bad for the food service people, making such a large order, but he placed the order anyway and drove off with several large bags of food and one happy bear shifter.

~

The Cat's Eye was closed again when they arrived. How Imayoshi did any business at all was a mystery to Ryouta, but considering the bar being closed was for his and Kuroko's sake, he figured he'd keep his mouth shut. Since the car was technically stolen, they parked it in an alley and left it there and walked the four blocks back to the bar. Murasakibara didn't knock like Aomine did the last time. He opened the door and just went right in, calling out a loud hello to whoever was around.

"Atsushi," a voice carried from the back corner of the main area. "You're late." Akashi was sitting by himself in the bar, reading the newspaper. His phone sat next to him on the table. 

"Kise-chin got me a snack." Murasakibara wandered over to the table and took a seat.

"Did he." Akashi allowed a small smile for Ryouta, then gestured for Ryouta to take a seat next to Murasakibara. "Are you well, Ryouta?"

"Yes, thanks for your help." He drummed his fingers on the table. He wanted to ask, but the possible answers terrified him. Even so... "What about Kurokocchi? Ah, I mean Kuroko. Did anyone--"

"Tetsuya is fine," Akashi assured him. "He'll be joining us soon. I'm waiting on the call now."

All at once, Ryouta felt his shoulders slump, the tension set across them like a heavy bar evaporating. "Thank you," he said again, not bothering to hide the enormity of his gratitude.

"I owe you my gratitude, actually," Akashi said. "Without your timely intervention, none of this would have been possible."

"Intervention?" Ryouta hadn't actually done anything. 

"If you hadn't drawn Tetsuya's attention when you had," Akashi clarified, "this conflict would not exist. This is the only chance we've had since Nijimura's death to attack the canine clan."

"But weren't they falling apart? What stopped you?"

"They were. But attacking them wasn't necessary until Haizaki began taking the steps to becoming the clan's leader. And even then, as fractured as they were, it would have been," Akashi paused, searching for a word, "unsportsmanlike."

Ryouta decided then and there he would never understand shifter politics.

The conversation turned away from the conflict. Ryouta spent a good hour talking about shougi - which he knew _nothing_ about and didn't especially want to know about - with Akashi while Murasakibara ate. Akashi inspired in everyone who interacted with him a desire to please him. He had such a commanding presence that Ryouta found himself sweating with anxiety while he tried to recall anything that might be relevant to the topic at hand. 

When Akashi's phone rang, Ryouta was ready to lay his head down on the table and weep. 

"The door is unlocked. Come in," was all Akashi said before hanging up. To Ryouta, he added, "Tetsuya has arrived. I don't know what condition he's in."

That comment soured the moment. Ryouta hadn't even considered that Kuroko might be injured. He'd fixated on the fact that he was alive, satisfied with that knowledge alone. But with Kuroko's healing abilities, shouldn't he be fine?

That seemed to be the case when the doors opened. Kuroko walked in on his own, not needing anyone to support him, and Kagami followed shoulder to shoulder with a large dark skinned man Ryouta didn't recognize. He jumped to his feet and rushed over to them. "Kurokocchi, you're all right!" he crowed, throwing his arms around Kuroko's neck and almost bowling him over with the force of his enthusiasm. 

"Kise-kun, you're choking me."

"Sorry, sorry," he sing-songed. How could he not be happy now that they were finally back together? "Ah, and you too Kagamicchi! Thanks for returning him. And you, ah--"

"That's Nebuya," Kagami said. 

Kuroko didn't say anything. He looked at Akashi, then at Ryouta. He didn't seem happy. It wasn't an expression on his face that gave Ryouta that impression; Kuroko was as blank faced as usual. It was almost like an aura around him. Something was wrong. Ryouta caught Kagami's eye, frowning when Kagami grimaced and shrugged back at him. So he wasn't the only one who noticed.

"You're not hurt?" Kuroko finally spoke. 

"Nope! Murasakibara over there took good care of me!" He wanted Kuroko to relax, to know nothing was wrong, but the comment did the opposite. Kuroko outright frowned.

"I should speak to Akashi-kun," Kuroko said. "Excuse me." He brushed by Ryouta and went to the table.

"What happened?" Ryouta turned to Kagami. Wasn't Kuroko happy to see him? Hadn't he worried? All Ryouta wanted to was to drag him into a room and climb all over him, to be alone and safe again. But Kuroko didn't even want to look at him.

"I wish I could tell you," Kagami said. "He was like that the whole way here."

Ryouta turned away to watch Kuroko speak with Akashi. He didn't sit down at the table. His fists were clenched at his side like he was angry. Whatever Akashi said wasn't what he wanted to hear because he turned on his heel and walked stiffly away, disappearing through the door behind the bar counter. 

"Shit," Kagami muttered. He took the word right out of Ryouta's mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for anyone who cares...i kind of see murasakibara's ring tone as being something like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgeZsOkbO4w), like a snack commercial jingle.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the support!

The backroom of the bar was empty, quiet. Tetsuya leaned against the closed door separating him from the rest of the group and clenched his fists and jaw against a sudden and startling onslaught of anger. 

_You've done enough_ , were Akashi's words. _Leave the rest to us_. He'd left no room for Tetsuya in future plans. And why should he? Why make provisions for a person he knew he'd have to save when he could just as easily keep Tetsuya under his thumb and out of harm's way? Even now, he knew Akashi wasn't wrong.

Tetsuya couldn't help anyone.

It was a fact he knew well, but not one that killed the desperate desire to prove himself, to be of use to the people who'd sacrificed so much for him. Wasn't hiding just proving Haizaki right? A waste of resources, a traitor, a dead weight. If all he did he was stand in the shadows and take up space, Akashi and Imayoshi should have left him for dead.

"Kurokocchi?" Kise knocked on the door. "Are you in there? There door's locked. Can you let me in?" 

"I didn't mean to lock it," Tetsuya said. He didn't realize he had. When he opened the door, Kise rushed in, as though afraid Tetsuya would change his mind, and closed the door behind him.

They stared at one another for a long moment. Kise broke the tension with a comically loud sigh as he reeled Tetsuya in with an arm over his shoulder. "You're thinking something disastrous, aren't you? It's the look on your face. I don't think I like it."

"I don't have a look," Tetsuya said, annoyed in spite of himself. "This is just my face, Kise-kun."

"Ah, but looking at your face is one of my favorite hobbies, so I think I'd know better than you." Kise grinned, the cheeky bastard, then ducked his head, burying his face in Tetsuya's hair. He breathed in deeply, his grip on Tetsuya tightening. "I'm glad you're here. I was afraid."

Tetsuya sank into Kise's embrace, embarrassingly grateful for the physical contact. "Of what?"

"Dying," Kise said. "You or me or both. I didn't think we'd ever see each other again." His voice wobbled, and Tetsuya thought Kise was about to cry, though he thankfully reigned himself in. "Were you scared?"

"Yes," Tetsuya said, unable to lie. "I was terrified." Beyond the pain, beyond the humiliation of knowing he was so much less than Haizaki or his captors, the realization that he'd let Kise down was the worst feeling of all. He'd been unable to put the horrible what ifs from his mind, all the ways Haizaki could have hurt Kise. 

He wanted to reassure Kise now, to tell him that everything would be all right. They were together, after all! But the words didn't come. Instead, fear and anger and shame bubbled up into his throat like bile, a nauseating mixture so terrible to experience that he almost missed the physical pain he'd endured.

"I'm sorry," was all his mouth would allow. "I let you down."

Kise shoved him back. "Don't say that!" His grip on Tetsuya's arms bordered on painful. "You can't blame yourself for something like that!"

"For something like that?" Tetsuya echoed. "You were only in that situation because--"

"Because I made a choice," Kise said. "Respect that. I could have left at any time, Kurokocchi. Blaming yourself for a decision I made just means you don't think I'm capable of making up my own mind."

"You're twisting my words."

Kise shook his head, but his grip relaxed, his arms falling to his sides. "I wish you wouldn't do this to yourself."

"If I was stronger, none of this would have happened," Tetsuya insisted. "But I'm _weak_ , and Haizaki--"

"You keep talking like the only thing you are is that little dog," Kise said. "But you know, you're human, too." Kise looked so earnest it was hard to argue with him. Tetsuya couldn't meet his eyes, too overcome with the sheer intensity of his affection. 

Someone else knocked on the door, and Tetsuya had never been so glad to be interrupted. Kise looked faintly disappointed when Tetsuya rushed to open the door. "Kagami-kun?"

"I just thought I'd see how you were." He avoided looking directly at Tetsuya, who spotted the lie immediately. He'd probably been eavesdropping. 

"I'm fine, as you can see," Tetsuya said. "You _did_ retrieve me yourself."

Kagami's face reddened. "Well," he said haltingly. "Yes. Yes, I did." He scratched the back of his head, shooting a look at Kise that Tetsuya couldn't interpret. "So, uh, you hungry?"

Now it was Tetsuya's turn to stare. "No."

When Kagami's expression turned imploring, Kise chuckled nervously. "We should eat, Kurokocchi. I bet it would, um, improve your mood!"

They'd both lost their minds. Clearly. But Tetsuya wasn't going to argue, not when it was a chance to escape their previous conversation. "If you insist. Let's find something to eat."

It was a good way to waste time. Everyone who'd crowded the bar earlier had dispersed, ostensibly to carry out whatever tasks Akashi required of them. Tetsuya spared a brief moment to wonder where Imayoshi was, but then Kagami handed him a sandwich and he realized he actually was hungry. Incredibly so. And it was just as well that he ate when he did because when Akashi finally came around again, what he said would have killed Tetsuya's appetite completely.

"I issued a formal warning to Haizaki and his clan," Akashi said. He stood imposingly in front of the cramped table in the employee room Kagami had set up their meal on. "If he accepts and meets our conditions, the matter will be considered closed."

Tetsuya forced himself to take a few deep breaths before speaking. "And what conditions would those be, Akashi-kun?"

"Your safe transfer out of the clan," Akashi began, "a concession of certain territories. Cooperation regarding the recent murders, including Nijimura's death." The last condition startled Tetsuya.

"That's as good as an accusation," Tetsuya said. "He'll never accept that."

"Of course," Akashi agreed. "That's what we're counting on. We can't have him accepting terms and remaining in a position of power. But we also can't leave ourselves vulnerable to scrutiny from clans outside the area."

"Why would clans outside the area have anything to do with it?" Kise interrupted, though his voice remained timid around Akashi as always.

"Even our kind has a system," Akashi explained. "Our traditions guide us in all things, even in war. To overstep them would be to invite scrutiny. If a clan outside the area had an eye on our territory, they could use something like that as a reason to take over."

"Shifter politics," Kise muttered. "I don't even understand _regular_ politics."

"Have you given him a deadline?" Tetsuya asked, returning to the topic at hand. 

"Twenty four hours," Akashi confirmed. "If he hasn't responded within the time frame, we consider it a refusal."

"And then what?" Kise asked.

"We attack," Kagami said, scoffing. "What else?"

What else, indeed. Tetsuya knew - as they all did - that the warning was a mere formality. The attack _would_ happen, and by issuing a warning rather than making a move, Akashi had left them open. If Haizaki perceived movement on their end as a threat, as he was certain to, he would attack, traditions be damned. Haizaki could talk a good game about preserving the old ways and restoring the clan to its former glories, but in the end his intentions were clearly about personal gain, power, and cutting down anyone who stood in his way.

"I know what you're thinking," Akashi said. His voice was softer than usual. Tetsuya supposed he thought he was being soothing.

"Do you." Tetsuya stared back. Kise looked between them, concerned, though Kagami didn't seem to notice.

"Everything will go according to plan," Akashi assured him. "I have made all the necessary preparations."

"Fine." Tetsuya wouldn't argue. Akashi was undoubtedly as prepared as he believed himself to be. "But when you attack, I want to be part of it."

Kagami choked on his food. Kise hurried to pound his back, shooting Tetsuya an incredulous look. 

"Denied," Akashi said. 

"I won't stay behind." Tetsuya refused. Akashi wasn't his alpha. He wasn't obligated to obey his commands, and from the way he narrowed his eyes, Akashi knew it well.

"Then I won't be responsible for what happens," Akashi said. "If you refuse to take heed of your instincts and avoid situations you can't handle, then I won't go out of my way to keep you safe."

"I'm fine with that."

Kise heaved another sigh. "If you're going, so am I."

Three voices spoke at once: " _No_."

"And why not?" Kise demanded. "If Kurokocchi's going, then I have to go! Besides," he sniffed, "someone has to represent the humans."

"You're as much of an idiot as your partner," Kagami despaired. 

Akashi looked fed up with the lot of them. "I can't stop you," he admitted. "If you intend to follow us, the consequences are on your own heads. We leave for your shrine in the morning."

"The shrine?" Tetsuya frowned. "Why there?"

"It's sacred for you, isn't it?" Akashi asked. "What better place to start? Destroying morale is as important as anything else."

"You make this sound like an actual war," Kise said with an anxious laugh.

"Of course," Akashi said, his eyebrow arching. "That's exactly what this is." And with that, he turned on his heel and swept out of the room, striking an imposing figure as he let the door fell shut behind him. 

"You're both idiots," Kagami said. "You should be smart and sit this out. Aomine would agree."

"Of course he would," Tetsuya said. "That's why you're not going to say a word to him about it," wherever Aomine was. 

"I won't have to. He'll just know you're up to some stupid shit," Kagami grumbled. 

Tetsuya smiled, small though it was. One more night, he told himself, meeting Kise's gaze across the table. One more night and all of it would be done with - for better or for worse.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the support! wow we're really at the end here arent we?! one more to go.......

A full night of waiting stretched endlessly before Ryouta, accented by the distance in Kuroko's eyes and the tension hanging heavy in the air. His nerves were a tangled mess by the time Kagami took his leave.

"You should get some rest, too," Kagami said, unable to mask his concern when he glanced at Kuroko's closed off expression. "And think real damn hard about whether you really want to do this. Got it? Being half assed will just get you killed."

That, Ryouta could have done without. He knew he didn't understand what he was walking into. He wouldn't grasp it in a single night either; his only concern was Kuroko. "We'll be fine, Kagamicchi," he laughed, trying to fill the gaps left by Kuroko's silence. "Ah, but do you know where we can sleep?"

The bar was big but not _that_ big. Ryouta doubted Imayoshi had a dormitory hiding somewhere in it.

"No, but Akashi probably does. I'll ask him for you."

"God bless you, Kagamicchi," Ryouta sighed. He'd prefer avoiding Akashi. The man gave him the absolute creeps. 

"He's right," Kuroko said after Kagami left. "You should reconsider."

"That wasn't just directed at me, you know..." Kuroko could be surprisingly pigheaded. Maybe it was a dog thing? With a dog, though, distracting them would be easy.

A thought struck him. Ryoua cut his eyes at Kuroko who stared aimlessly at the floor, lost in thought. A distraction, huh?

"I hope there's a big bath wherever we end up staying," Ryouta said. Kuroko hummed. "It would be the worst if we both couldn't fit, right?"

"Right," Kuroko said, distracted. Then his eyes abruptly focused and he looked up, blinking rapidly. "What?"

Ryouta just smiled.

Kagami banged into the room moments later holding a card. He opened his mouth to say something, then stopped. His nostrils flared, and he shot an accusing look at Kuroko who pointedly ignored him. "Here," Kagami said, tossing the card onto the table. "Akashi got you guys a room at the hotel where he's staying."

"I thought he wasn't going to waste his time keeping us safe." Kuroko was apparently holding a grudge.

"That guys pretty possessive," Kagami said. "Don't underestimate him when it comes to his people."

"We're not his people," Ryouta pointed out. That much was abundantly clear.

"Says you." Kagami rolled his eyes. "I don't think your opinion's going to stop him." He ran a hand through his hair, biting back a yawn. "Car leaves in five. Be there or sleep here, according to Akashi."

Who could argue with that? Akashi might be weird and overbearing, but he looked like the kind of guy who appreciated the finer things in life. Ryouta crossed his fingers. "Five stars," he said. "Please."

Kuroko and Kagami gave him twin looks of exasperation. Let them. Ryouta knew who had the best taste in the room.

~

"Three stars, huh?"

"Hurry or I'll leave you in the lobby," Kuroko threatened. He stood in the elevator, one finger poised over a button.

"Wait for me!" Ryouta hurried after him, leaning against the wall of the elevator. Kuroko punched their floor number and watched the digital display. "I wonder why Akashi didn't come with us? I mean, if he's staying here..."

"I'm sure he's too busy getting ready for tomorrow."

Ryouta wanted to slap himself. Why did he keep bringing it up? Kuroko looked just as distracted as he had all evening, miserable and frustrated and a number of other things he expressed surprisingly well considering his blank face.

"I bet the room is really nice!"

"Weren't you just complaining about the hotel not being fancy enough?"

"Kurokocchi, why do you have to be so thick?" Ryouta sighed.

The doors chimed as they opened. The hall was a long straight shot from one end to the other, lined with a rich red carpet. Kuroko stepped out of the elevator and walked quickly down the hall before finding their room. Ryouta followed him at a slower pace, his mood taking a nosedive. He couldn't shake Kuroko out of his stupor, couldn't force him into the present.

A selfish part of him wanted to demand that Kuroko pay attention to him. What if this was their last night? They were going to spend it in cold silence?

Ryouta closed the door behind him, locking it and sliding the chain.

"You're quiet." Kuroko sounded too loud, his voice cutting through the thick blanket of tension between them.

"I guess I'm tired after all." Ryouta wasn't. He didn't think he'd be able to sleep at all.

"That's too bad," Kuroko said. He took off his shirt and folded it neatly on top of the dresser. "I was hoping we could do what you suggested for the next time we were alone."

Ryouta admired the masculine cut of Kuroko's body, the smooth plane of his abdomen. "My suggestion?"

Kuroko went a little pink, though his expression didn't change. "You said," his words faltered. He licked his lips and tried again: "You said you wanted to... be in me."

Be in him? Ryouta's imagination flashed him an image of Kuroko on his hands and knees with Ryouta plastered along his back, driving his hips forward.

"I do want that!" Ryouta closed the space between them and grabbed Kuroko by the shoulders. "I want--all of that." His mood did a one eighty. Had Kuroko read him and decided Ryouta was the one who needed distracting?

"We should bathe first." Kuroko pulled away, looking off to the side. His cheeks were burnt, his embarassment showing easily on his fair skin.

"Whatever you want," Ryouta agreed. Kuroko could have asked him to set himself on fire and he would have gleefully done it at that point.

They both stripped and showered off while the bath filled, carefully avoiding each others eyes. It felt like the first time should have, that faint awkwardness before their bodies knew each other.

The tub was big enough for two, but Ryouta's long legs meant he had to sit with his knees up. Kuroko settled between his legs, his back to Ryouta's chest. He tipped his back to lean against Ryouta's shoulder, his eyes closed.

"It feels like I haven't had a decent bath in weeks," he murmured, his breath puffing against the side of Ryouta's neck.

"It does," Ryouta agreed. He rested his hands on Kuroko's abdomen and, when no complaints were voiced, slid his hands lower, his fingers brushing against the thicket of hair at the base of Kurok's cock. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

Kuroko's breath hitched. His hips tilted up, trying to get Ryouta's hands on more of him. "Kise-kun, don't tease."

Ryouta lost control. He brought his arms around Kuroko and squeezed, buying his face in the side of his neck. How was it possible for one person to be so appealing? "What do you want me to do?" he asked, mouthing the words against Kuroko's damp skin. "I'll do anything you want."

"I already told you." Kuroko grabbed Ryouta's wrists and forced them below the water toward his cock. 

Ryouta did him one better, looping his fingers around Kuroko and pumping him, feeling him swell in his hand, while the other hand went lower, his fingers skating down the cleft of his ass and pressing down, not enough to push through the resistance, just to tease. Kuroko panted, canting his hips up, pushing into the loose grip of Ryouta's fist.

"I thought you weren't going to tease me." His voice was breathy and light, and Ryouta committed the sound to memory.

"I never said that." Ryouta rubbed at Kuroko's hole, loving the way Kuroko didn't seem to know whether to fuck into Ryouta's hand or push back against his finger. " _You_ said that."

"Kise-kun!"

"Tetsuya," Ryouta returned, laughing into the crook of Kuroko's neck when he gave a full body shudder. "I've never realized how much you like that sound of your own name!" He paused. " _Tetsuya_."

"That's--that's not--" Kuroko stammered. His cock twitched in Ryouta's hand. He tried to sit up, one hand scrabbling at the side of the tub. "Let's get out!"

"Out?" Ryouta didn't let up, grinning as Kuroko doubled over when he squeezed his fist around him. "Why would you want to do that?"

"If you're going to touch me, I want you to do it properly," Kuroko said. His voice was muffled by one of his hands pressed tight to his mouth. "Let's go to bed, Kise-kun." Ryouta's heart, the fickle thing, actually _fluttered_. Those were words he'd like to hear every day for the rest of his life.

He let Kuroko escape, sparing a moment to drain the tub before following him out of the bathroom. The lights were all off, and Kuroko was sitting on the bed with his back against the pillows, his legs splayed open. The red wasn't gone from his face, but he was boldly staring at Ryouta now, taking in every centimeter of his body, his gaze lingering on his chest and arms. 

"Like what you see?" Ryouta blew him a kiss and struck a pose. 

"Come here," Kuroko demanded, "and stop talking before I change my mind." They were the kind of barbed words he hadn't heard from Kuroko since everything went straight to Hell. Ryouta felt like he'd stepped into another universe, a _normal_ one, where things progressed as they should have. As he crawled up the bed and in between Kuroko's legs, leaning close to slot their mouths together, it was easy to pretend they were on his bed spending another night together, the days strung together between _I love you_ 's and _welcome home_ 's.

They didn't have any condoms or proper lube, so Ryouta was forced to make due with the hotel hand lotion from the nightstand. Kuroko watched him slick his fingers up and press them inside, flinching only for the initial intrusion. Then he sighed, his head tipping back. "Good... Keeping going, Kise-kun..."

Ryouta kissed his neck, sucking marks into his skin that would gone by morning. "Tetsuya--" He wanted to say the name over and over, to watch the blush spread from Kuroko's face down to his chest. But Kuroko wouldn't have it, kept his mouth occupied and returned the favor with a hand on his cock, jacking him off with a slow, teasing pace.

When they finally came together, Ryouta slid into him with ease, Kuroko's body drawing him deeper. It felt natural, being inside Kuroko, just as perfect as having Kuroko inside of him felt. Ryouta wanted this closeness forever, this intimate joining. He never wanted another person to know the way Kuroko looked when he came, the way he bit his lip and turned his face away, his hair obscuring his eyes. Ryouta took every expression Kuroko made, every noise, and tucked them away in his heart. He'd be forever jealous of Kuroko's attention and time, he knew. That Kuroko always gave in to him only made it worse.

"Ryouta," Kuroko panted, his arms winding around Ryouta's neck, drawing him closer until they were sharing breaths. " _Ryouta_ \--"

Ryouta held on as long as he could, but Kuroko's body felt too good, too hot and tight and welcoming. Kuroko came first, his body going taut and his as clamping down on Ryouta's cock. He lost himself in the sensation, spilling inside Kuroko with an aborted sound, his hips jerking in short staccato bursts until he had nothing left to give.

Kuroko gathered him close and kissed Ryouta, carding thin fingers though his hair. Ryouta allowed himself to be held, clutching Kuroko close in return. 

Wouldn't it be good, he thought to himself, if they could stay like that forever?

~

Kuroko was gone. Ryouta wasn't sure how he knew it, but he _did_. No matter where he looked, no matter where he went, everything was tainted with the knowledge that Kuroko was gone, was lost to him.

Ryouta wouldn't be far behind.

He was running, stumbling and barely catching himself, the sounds of dogs not far behind. He swore he could feel their breath, the tips of their teeth nipping at his heels. _I'm going to die_ , was his mantra. He was going to die, was going to fall and be torn apart. Wherever Kuroko was, that's where he was going. Wherever Kuroko was--

Ryouta lost his footing. He hit the ground _hard_ , rolling onto his back, but he didn't have the chance to get back up. The dogs were upon him, all gnashing teeth and foaming mouths, and Ryouta watched with mute horror while they tore at his stomach, ripping out--

"Kise-kun!"

Ryouta's arms flailed, impacting with something solid. Kuroko held onto his wrist, staring down at him with wide eyes. The side of his face was red. "Kuro...kocchi?" 

"Calm down," Kuroko soothed, his thumb rubbing circles in the underside of his wrist. "Everything's all right, you're here with me. _Breathe_ , Kise-kun."

And Ryouta did, forcing himself to take deep, even breaths, keeping his eyes on Kuroko's face. What happened? He remembered the bath, remembered his hands on Kuroko and the feel of his body, then - they went to sleep? A nightmare, he realized. He'd had a nightmare. And worse still, "I hit you," he breathed.

"I shouldn't have tried to wake you up like I did." Kuroko gently released him. "It's not your fault. It won't even leave a mark. Please don't be harsh with yourself." He watched Ryouta carefully, and then, apparently assessing him as calmed down enough, asked, "What was it about?"

"About?"

"Your nightmare," Kuroko was clarified. Something in his eyes suggested he already knew.

 _I think I'm afraid of dogs_ , Ryouta wanted to say, but all that came out was, "I'm afraid." And he was, afraid of what had happened them and what was still to come. 

"Me too," Kuroko admitted. Perhaps in the dark, honesty was easier for him. For both of them. Ryouta pulled him close once more and they laid down, curled into each other. He didn't dare look at the clock, contenting himself with the knowledge that the sun was not yet up.

Time was still on their side.

~

Akashi woke them himself. He wasted no time, demanding they get ready to leave within the next three minutes or get left behind. Kuroko and Ryouta scrambled up, and Ryouta pushed himself to move fast, to force away the exhaustion clinging to him.

The morning passed in a haze. Everything seemed surreal, like one moment they were stepping out of bed and they next were at the foot of an enormous set of stairs, watching Akashi and a group of shifters walk up with grim determination.

Kuroko stood beside him. "Are you sure?" he asked, glancing at Ryouta.

 _No_. "I go where you go." On that point, Ryouta wouldn't relent.

Akashi instructions were thus: _Stay at the foot of the stairs. When it's time, I'll send a signal. You'll know it when you see it. Do not come up before I tell you it's safe_. He'd repeated himself at least three times, with Kagami standing over his shoulder looking menacing. Their group was one of several that would be striking, all of them coming from different locations. Aomine was somewhere with Imayoshi according to Kagami and had sent increasingly irate messages to Kagami throughout the night before, demanding that he keep "dumbass Tetsu's dumbass out of trouble."

Ryouta grabbed Kuroko's hand and gave it a squeeze. "What do you think is going to happen?"

"I've never been in a situation like this," Kuroko admitted. "Clan wars.... They haven't been an issue for a long time, especially not in Tokyo."

"Maybe nothing will happen," Ryouta suggested. "Maybe--" His words were lost in the sound of gunfire. Ryouta and Kuroko's eyes snapped to the top of the stairs. "Akashi didn't say anything about guns..."

"As a rule," Kuroko said, his eyes wide, "shifters don't use them. They draw too much attention from human authorities."

Shifters don't use them? "Then..." Ryouta hesitated. "What does that mean?"

"Haizaki-kun knew," Kuroko said. "I don't--it was just like I thought. I _told_ him this would happen." Kuroko's face was a blank mask, closer to a statue than his usual poker face. 

"We should get out of here," Ryouta said. He tugged at Kuroko's arm, panic welling in his gut. "We can still warn the other groups--" 

But Kuroko wouldn't listen. The space where he'd stood was suddenly empty, and Ryouta was left grabbing at nothing. A small dog shot up the stairs with a speed unlike anything Ryouta had ever seen.

"Kuroko!" His shout echoed in the distance. Kuroko didn't stop, didn't flinch at the noise. His tiny body reached the top of the stairs and bolted into the shrine proper, out of Ryouta's sight. The sound of fighting continued, echoing louder than before, and Ryouta knew it was only a matter of time before normal people started paying attention. The shrine itself was located in a wooded area at the far east of Tokyo, bordering the countryside. It was a ways off from the populated areas, but there was always a chance people were hiking.

Ryouta bit back a curse and ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He was useless - no, he was worse than useless. Human, unarmed, uninformed - but he couldn't stay still. Kuroko was gone, and the terror creeping up his throat felt like the nightmare from before. He wouldn't let it happen, wouldn't let Kuroko vanish.

His lungs burned, but he didn't stopped. As he cleared the top of the stairs, Ryouta found himself hoping that Akashi's planning covered human weaponry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please dont use hand lotion as lube...it leads to bad things if you dont have kurokos super special shifter physique...


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS DONE WOW
> 
> thanks for all the support!! i wrote this as kind of an exercise to prove i could do a long fic. there was very little editing. it was done nanowrimo style which was super fun! its given me a lot to think about as far as my writing process goes. i might do an epilogue or something down the road. we will see......

The canine clan's shrine, a place long considered sacred, was entrusted to a single family. They maintained the shrine, performed ceremonial rites, and stood at the center of the clan's spiritual life. When Tetsuya cleared the top of the stairs, there was still a part of him stuck in disbelief, expecting to see the old man and his daughters in the courtyard. It would have been a blessed sight compared to what greeted him.

 

The old man was there. Blood soaked into his robes, and Tetsuya could see where the bullet had pierced through his chest. The scent of blood hung thick in the air. Tetsuya's sensitive nose could easily tell that the old man wasn't the only dead body around.

 

If Akashi hadn't brought guns, didn't that mean the canines were killing _each other_?

 

Shouting tore Tetsuya's attention away from the old man's bulging, sightless eyes. Whoever had been there before, they were all down in the forest. He tilted his head back and scented the air, searching - but Haizaki's scent was too faint. Wherever he was, it wasn't anywhere near the shrine. Tetsuya darted through the main building, his heart growing heavy at the sheer destruction: furniture thrown aside, scrolls ripped from the walls, blood sprayed across the screen doors. Whatever happened, it wasn't because of Akashi and his group. This damage was older, at least a few hours old.

 

What was Haizaki thinking?

 

He stepped out of the back side of the house and heard Kise calling him from the front of the shrine. Tetsuya would have gone to him had he not heard that familiar sound: it was a howl he couldn't help but respond to, Haizaki's deep, rumbling call to his clan. Tetsuya's head snapped around, his eyes zeroing in on where in the forest the sound had echoed from, and he took off again. Kise would be all right, he decided, if Haizaki was so far away. He couldn't afford to turn back if it meant letting Haizaki escape.

 

He didn't wonder what he would do when he caught up to him. Tetsuya's small paws flew across the ground, rapidly closing the distance between himself and where Haizaki should be. The closer he got, the stronger the scent. He _had_ to be there. If Tetsuya could get to him, then -

 

Tetsuya stopped. Then _what_?

 

It was the same issue as before. Even if he caught Haizaki, there was nothing he could do on his own. Haizaki would rip him apart, and no one would even know what happened. _I can still fight_ , he'd told Akashi. Had those words been lies?

 

No, he decided. No matter what the cost, this was something he could not fail in. Wasn't it worth his life to see Haizaki punished for what he'd done and the clan passed over to the care of someone who could be a true leader?

 

Haizaki howled again, and further away, other shifters raised their voices with him. They were regrouping somewhere out of Akashi's reach.

 

Though Tetsuya was small in his canine form, he was fast and his senses keen. He could pick out a voice in a crowd, a single scent in a busy street. Once he locked on to Haizaki, he wouldn't lose him as long as he didn't stop. Going for help wasn't an option.

 

Breaking into a run, Tetsuya crashed through the forest, prioritizing speed over discretion. The thought of allowing Haizaki to escape, of failing through his own incompetence once again, drove him to go faster, to narrow his senses until all he could see or smell was the traitorous wolf himself. Something large stepped into his path, and Tetsuya, unable to slow down or dodge in time, barreled straight into it and rebounded against a nearby tree with a painful _thud_.

 

Despite how solid it felt, the obstacle wasn't a boulder; it was Kagami, shifted into an enormous tiger with its fangs barred and its tail swinging agitatedly behind it. His scent must have finally struck Kagami's human side, because he suddenly shifted human again, standing nude over Tetsuya's prone body.

 

"Shit, Kuroko? Are you okay?" Kagami ran a hand over Tetsuya's flank, frowning. "You shouldn't be here."

 

Tetsuya struggled to sit up and finally gave in, shifting human. As his brain adjusted to the change, irritation flooded him. Kagami was in the way. "I told you I would be here," he snapped, his hackles raised. He had a task to complete.

 

"You've got serious tunnel vision, don't you?" Kagami sighed. "That guy was right after all. Aomine said you were the dumbest smart guy he knew."

 

"Kagami-kun, if we waste any more time, we'll lose him--"

 

But Kagami wave a hand, dismissing the thought. "Akashi's got it covered," he said, as though that alone would soothe Tetsuya's worries. "He planned for everything, and I mean _everything_. That bastard Haizaki just thinks he has the upper hand."

 

"You have more faith in Akashi-kun than I do."

 

"It's not faith. It's _fact_. My alpha," and this was the first time Tetsuya had ever heard Kagami refer to Imayoshi as his alpha, "wouldn't have allied with him otherwise. That snake is smart, too smart. He won't let us lose this."

 

_We've already lost if you let him get away_ , Tetsuya thought. But Kagami didn't understand, _refused_ to understand, and Tetsuya was tired of trying to convince people. The howls had long faded, and the scent was growing weak. Their inaction had allowed Haizaki to slip free of their grasp. "Is that what you really believe?"

 

"I wouldn't have said so if I didn't believe it." Kagami was an honest man. Tetsuya knew he _thought_ he was doing the right thing, but thinking it didn't always make it so. Tetsuya was done arguing the point.

 

"If you say so." He made no move to leave, and Kagami relaxed.

 

A sound like fireworks being shot off drew their attention up to the sight of light bursting overhead. "A flare," Kagami explained. "That was the signal. We're supposed to meet back at the shrine now."

 

And what? Do roll call? Talk more about what they should do rather than acting? "Fine. Let's go."

 

Kagami took Tetsuya for his word, not bothering to glance back at him as he shifted once more and took off in the direction Tetsuya came from. Tetsuya also shifted, but rather than bounding after Kagami toward the shrine, he took off in the opposite direction. Haizaki might be gone, but he likely left a trail in his haste to get away. All Tetsuya had to do was find it. And he had to move fast, had to be long gone before Kagami realized what he was up to. A part of him felt guilty; Kagami, Kise, perhaps even Akashi... they would be concerned. But he'd have to worry them this once and trust that they'd know it was for the best. This time, he would not fail.

 

A scent caught his attention. It was Haizaki. He'd move through the area mere minutes before, judging by how fresh the trail was, and he wasn't moving deeper into the forest like Tetsuya suspected. No, Haizaki was moving back toward the city, leaving forest and the shrine behind. He wasn't just trying to get away from Akashi and the others, he was trying to escape the situation altogether.

 

Tetsuya felt torn. He'd wanted to catch up with Haizaki, to send a signal perhaps to the rest of the group and make them realize they needed to act immediately. If Haizaki wasn't even staying in the area, there wouldn't be time to send any sort of signal. He had to make a choice: return to the others and lose Haizaki or follow Haizaki and risk catching up to him alone.

 

Gritting his teeth, Tetsuya swing his head toward Haizaki and back toward the shrine. He didn't have time to think hard on it, not with so much at stake. He needed to _move_.

 

Tetsuya followed Haizaki.

~

"Are you really surprised?" Akashi's flat tone and disinterested gaze stoked the flames of Ryouta's anger further.

 

"If you expected him to run off, why didn't you do something to stop him?" Ryouta demanded. He was shaking, Kuroko's clothes clenched in his hands, a lifeline to keep him steady when all he wanted to do was slam his fist into Akashi's impassive face.

 

"Why didn't you?" Akashi returned coolly. "As you both made clear, I have no authority over either of you. However, _you_ could easily sway Tetsuya. Did you give up? Or do you not know him as well as you thought?"

 

"Fuck you!" Ryouta spit. He turned on his heel and stormed away, his shoulders so tense it hurt, his jaw clenched. Kuroko was gone, just like in his nightmare. He didn't know where he was or what he was doing, but Ryouta knew Kuroko, despite Akashi's words. There was nowhere else Kuroko would go except straight for Haizaki. "That idiot," he muttered. He made it to the stairs just in time to see a tiger burst through the wooded section to the east of the shrine. It shook its head, growing and distorting its shape until Kagami stood in its place, naked and unashamed. He looked over his shoulder and scowled as another shifter ran up with a bag of clothes.

 

"Kagamicchi," Ryouta called, jogging over to him and taking special care not to look at any part of him too long. "Have you seen him?"

 

"Him?" Kagami asked. "I guess you mean Kuroko? Yeah, I saw him, the little shit. He told me he would follow me back, then ditched me before I realized it. That _dumbass_!" He jerked a pair of sweatpants on and looked around as though taking inventory of everyone he could see.

 

"No kidding." Ryouta felt tired, much too tired to deal with any of this. He was struck by the sudden selfish desire to just go home, to forget about everything - especially dumb dog shifters - but the desire was a fleeting one. He could never abandon Kuroko. "We can't leave him alone."

 

"No," Kagami agreed, "we can't. But I can't do anything unless Akashi gives me the say so. Imayoshi put him in charge, so it's out of my hands."

 

"Not you too," Ryouta groaned. "What about Aomine? He'd help, wouldn't he?"

 

"Oi! Don't act like I don't want to help! You two need to remember something!" He grabbed Ryouta by the collar of his shirt and dragged him forward until the tips of their noses brushed together. "You two aren't the only ones with something at stake here. This isn't all about you." He let Ryouta go, looking off into the forest. "Sometimes waiting is the best you can do."

 

Shame crashed through Ryouta. His shoulders drooped, the tension flooding out of him. "You're right," he said. "Fuck! You're really right..." He pushed a hand through his hair, moving his bangs from his eyes. "I didn't--I didn't think about anyone else. I don't think he did either." Kuroko could be wonderfully selfless, but no matter what he said, he had more at stake personally than anyone else. Some of things Kuroko said and did made Ryouta think Kuroko was putting his entire self on the line, acting as though if he couldn't meet some sort of mental checklist he'd be useless as a person. "Kagamicchi," he said, staring at the ground. "I don't want to wait."

 

The hard lines of Kagami's face softened. He put a hand on Ryouta's shoulder. "Yeah," he said, "me neither."

~

Tetsuya chased Haizaki for one hour, then two. It took him longer than he was proud to admit to realize that Haizaki was literally leading him in circles, fooling him into believing he was close before somehow making the trail vanish, only to have it show up again in a completely different place. He was toying with Tetsuya, egging on his frustration. And Tetsuya actually fell for it.

 

They were in Tokyo, in a populated area. Tetsuya spent more time darting in between people as they walked than anything else, always wondering how Haizaki was getting through without being spotted, as large as he was. Had he shifted human again? No, the scent was too strong, to obviously canine. Just how was he managing it?

 

Tetsuya followed the scent between two buildings, already trapped into making the fatal mistake of assuming it would be more of the same, just empty space with a lingering scent trail. But this time, Haizaki was there.

 

He'd wondered, once upon a time, what a fight between shifters would seem like to humans. Would it be as simple as two dogs snarling at each other, jaws snapping as they fought for dominance? Or would they see the intelligence in the dogs' eyes as the struck, always searching for weak points and openings in a way a normal dog wouldn't?

 

When Haizaki struck it was not with the rabid ferocity one would expect. He snapped his jaws at Tetsuya backing him into a wall between a dumpster and a pile of boxes, blocking him in. His teeth pierced Tetsuya's back, pain shooting down his spine like fire, white hot and more intense than anything he'd ever felt. His instincts, dulled from the repetitive chase, came screaming back to life, _I have to get out of here_ looping over and over through his thoughts.

 

He'd been fooled again.

 

Haizaki threw him, clamping his jaws down hard as he swung Tetsuya, releasing him and sending him soaring across the alley to crash into the opposite wall. By the time Tetsuya stumbled back up onto all four legs, Haizaki  was upon him again, one paw on top of his head to keep him down. Shifting human wouldn't work this time. Even if he managed to catch Haizaki off guard, Haizaki was too strong to be thrown off as easily as that other shifter. Tetsuya whimpered as Haizaki pushed him down harder, grinding his head against the ground, his hot breath puffing against his nape.

 

Tetsuya was going to die. He realized it the moment Haizaki cornered him, knew without needing it spelled out that there would be no escape. Once more, he'd proven nothing. He'd left Kise behind, tricked Kagami, and snubbed Akashi's effort.

 

He wished he had time to apologize.

 

"Oh my god! Look! Call the police!" Humans began gathering at the mouth of the alley. Tetsuya felt Haizaki freeze, heard his rumbling growl. The humans - they were calling the police over something like two dogs fighting?

 

"It's a wild dog!"

 

They looked afraid. _Good_ , Tetsuya thought. They should be afraid. They had no idea what they were stepping into. He wanted to bark, to warn them off for their own good, but Haizaki--

 

Tetsuya stopped struggling. The pressure from Haizaki's foot was still there, but Haizaki was distracted. Tetsuya could _move_.

 

Before Haizaki could reassert himself, Tetsuya shot out from beneath him, speeding out of the alley and through the crowd. He hurt all over, but he couldn't afford to stop. He had to get away, to get somewhere long enough to shift, and then -

 

And then what? Repeat it all over again? If he was smart, Tetsuya would return to the shrine or find someway to contact Akashi, but he had no way of doing that in his current form.

 

Tetsuya darted into the open door of a large clothing store, heading straight for the back. He made it into the changing area and shifted quickly until he stood naked in a trail of his own blood. His back stung as it began to heal, the skin stretching and pulling uncomfortably, but he barely noticed.

 

_But you know, you're human, too_.

 

The words Kise said bubbled up in his mind unbidden. "Human," Kuroko said lowly, "huh?" As a small dog, he stood no chance against Haizaki. But as a human...?

 

It was a forbidden thought. Fighting as a human wasn't something the canine shifters did, went against all their archaic traditions and laws. Was it really so simple?

 

He grabbed clothes left in the dressing room and ripped off the tags, feeling a sting of guilt as he snuck out of the store. If he lived, he promised himself, he'd come back and pay for them. But dying was hardly off the table.

 

Haizaki's scent wasn't right on top of him any more, but it was still close by, the trail lingering in his periphery, as though Haizaki was circling him, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Tetsuya wandered, mindful of his still healing wounds, and tried to get a feel of where Haizaki was. His senses weren't as powerful in his human form, so it took more focus, but he finally managed. He wandered toward the industrial end of the city, trying to seem like he was hurried, panicked. He wanted Haizaki to come after him with confidence, to assume Tetsuya was on his last leg.

 

Pretending panic wasn't too difficult, considering the wave of fear he was riding. He couldn't finish the plan, couldn't think of exactly how to stop Haizaki in his tracks. He had no phone, no car, no way to escape. If only he wasn't alone. If only he'd remembered that clans existed so shifters wouldn't have to fight alone...

 

"You look pretty out of it."

 

Tetsuya's eyes cut to the right, zeroing in on a most welcome sight. "Aomine-kun," he breathed. He couldn't remember a time when he'd been more glad to see his old friend.

 

Aomine, for his part, didn't act like anything was wrong. He walked over to Tetsuya and threw his arm over his shoulders. "Yo, Tetsu," he said. "You're a lot of trouble."

 

"My apologies."

 

Aomine began to steer him down another street. Tetsuya tried to keep his focus on Haizaki and found that the wolf was following them, much to his surprise. "You need to think before you act."

 

"Should you really be the person saying that to me?"

 

"Probably not," Aomine admitted. "But I know a guy."

 

What he meant by that quickly became clear as a loud yelp sounded in the distance. Tetsuya turned, breaking free of Aomine. "Was that--"

 

"Haizaki," Aomine said. "Probably. We got the rest."

 

"I don't understand," Tetsuya said. "How did you--"

 

Aomine dug a finger into his ear, turning it a bit. He looked completely disinterested. "Akashi," he said. "Imayoshi thinks he's nuts but brilliant. And he's been watching you guys for years."

 

"I told you," Akashi's voice drifted from behind. He stepped out of a side road with Nebuya dragging Haizaki behind him. Haizaki's face was sallow, his neck and face bleeding from multiple bite wounds. "I made all of the necessary arrangements, Tetsuya. You were one of them." He looked around. "Come. We'll finish this elsewhere. Ryouta, in particular, is anxious to see you."

 

What could he say to that? And how had he not realized they were around? Tetsuya's mind was spinning, turned completely upside down. He followed Aomine to a parked car and climbed in without another word.

 

Akashi joined him, instructing Aomine to join Nebuya in the other car. They rode in silence for several long minutes before Tetsuya found his voice. "Will Haizaki--"

 

"I imagine he's already dead," Akashi said, anticipating the question. "My venom is quite potent." He turned away from the window and fixed his unsettling gaze on Tetsuya. "Is that your only question?"

 

"Why me?" Tetsuya asked before he could lose his nerve. "What did you really expect of me?"

 

"Expect of you?" Akashi's brows went up. "Exactly what you did. I expected you to react like a shifter with untapped potential from an unstable clan. Canines are especially prone to try proving themselves in foolish ways. Coupled with Haizaki's grudge, you were the perfect decoy."

 

"I don't understand," Tetsuya admitted. He clenched his fists in his lap. "I don't have potential. I've failed in every way."

 

"What you have to offer is unconvential," Akashi said. "You'll have to discover the truth yourself, but until you do, I'd like you to consider something."

 

"What?"

 

"Leave the canine clan and join me." He held a hand up when Tetsuya began to protest. "Your loyalty is commendable, but there's no place for you there. Aida-san will take over, but it could be a decade before the clan is stable at all. There's no place for you to grow there. The snake clan has much to offer."

 

Tetsuya was blown away by the offer. "I--yes. I'll consider it." His voice felt very small when he added, "Thank you, Akashi-kun."

 

They rode the rest of the way in comfortable silence.

~

Ryouta was not the sort to hold a grudge, but when Kuroko walked into their hotel room, his first instinct was to give him the silent treatment. His second was to tackle him and not let go. He went with the latter.

 

"Don't ever do that again," he demanded. Kuroko let out a startled sound as they hit the floor but quickly embraced Ryouta.

 

"I won't."

 

"You could have died!" Ryouta's heart hadn't slowed since he'd lost sight of Kuroko at the shrine. "What kind of idiot are you?!"

 

"The worst kind," Kuroko said agreeably. His smile was wider than Ryouta had ever seen. "I'm sorry I put you through that."

 

Ryouta sat back and shoved Kuroko. "I can't believe you!" But his anger burned out at the sight of Kuroko in front of him alive and unharmed. "Is it over?"

 

Kuroko grabbed both of Ryouta's hands with his own, lacing their fingers together. "It's over, Kise-kun." He squeezed their hands. "And if it's all right," his voice was careful, bled of emotion, "I'd like to stay by your side."

 

"You idiot," Ryouta said again, jerking Kuroko closer, "where else would you be?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case anyone wondered, akashi is an inland taipei snake. super deadly!


End file.
